Letters

A Polaroid delivered by boathook

am just re-reading my June edition and in particular Adrian Morgan’s piece where he mentions . I wonder if he recalls being approached by a pilot/patrol boat off Calshot when he was aboard ? I was the skipper. The story is that my coxswain and I were both wooden sailing out of the Hamble. Intrigued by this beguiling beauty we closed in. Using our evidence-gathering Polaroid camera we grabbed a picture. Then using our PPP (Patented Pamphlet Pusher, an old boathook handle with a large paper grip on the end), we closed in on a very startled and alarmed Adrian. Coxswain, using the PPP, passed across the photo while I shouted across “You don’t often get a shot of yourself sailing, nice boat, what is she?” Satisfied, we then shot off leaving a bemused Adrian sat in the cockpit clutching a fresh picture of . A month or so later my boss said with a twinkle in his eye: “Nice to see you boys check the camera now and then!” I wandered away perplexed, then returned home to find my copy of Classic Boat on the mat. Be sure your sins will find you out!