FEATURE: YACHT & CAPTAIN - ABBY EMERY
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Prep for Kite Drop - Heineken Regatta – S/Y Clare 2014
Lethantia as mate. Lethantia was in refit in a shipyard in Italy, so there were only two of us on board – myself and the captain. All very well, but the owner would turn up willynilly and expect a full lavish meal on the table. Rather odd. In any case, this job came to a very abrupt end on 22 June when said owner let go of a rope supporting a 230kg hydraulic piston. Regrettably, my hand was between that piston and a winch. That night I had an emergency operation in an Italian hospital, followed by two in Germany, and eight more in the UK. I was off work for a year.”
Winning the Women’s Division of Harken Grinder Challenge at Americas Cup World Series Event in Portsmouth. Presented by Annie Lush - 2016
“Naturally, I engaged the services of a lawyer to fight my corner, but the owner knew every loophole and had too much money to throw at the case. Not usually the sort to get down or stressed, I found myself in a tough place mentally, so chucked the towel in on the fight. In May 2013 I was ready to go back to work – albeit with a bit of shoulder pain and a slightly bent hand.”
Same 2017 delivery – SO MANY LAYERS! Very rolly and wet Bay of Biscay crossing
“With employers sceptical of my capabilities with a dodgy hand, I struggled to get work on a sail yacht. Having sworn blind I wouldn’t go back to a motoryacht, I joined Princess 85 Brodsky in Corfu as deck-mate. The Russian owner was on board for the summer and didn’t appear to be my biggest fan, although the captain and I got on very well. The gig ended in September, so I jumped off in Marbella and flew back to Palma.” “I found day work babysitting a Swan 112 and promptly missed a step in the cockpit and earned myself two huge black eyes. The next day, I had an interview on Oyster 885 Clare. I advised the captain that it really would be best if I kept my sunglasses on throughout. He congratulated me, said not many people would be brave enough to turn up to an interview in that state, and I was hired.” “Clare’s captain was very hands on, keen to coach and mentor me, and it rapidly became
Exhausted after a long stint on the wheel – Fastnet 2015