Cruisers Save the Day – and a Finger

While cruising, one thing you can count on is the unpredictability of what each new day will bring. That fact was reinforced early this month for Paul and Gina Rae when the salon of their New Zealand-based Hylas 44 Solace was suddenly turned into an operating room.

"William from the sailboat Eagle Wing had dropped a hatch on his finger, all but severing the top off through the nail down to the knuckle," reports Gina. With the help of Paul, who is an O.R. nurse, Doctor Betsy from the Washington-based Qayak put her best sewing skills to the test and the finger was saved.

William was particularly fortunate that both Solace and Qayak were in the anchorage, as the mishap occurred on a Sunday, when everything in Tonga is closed, including the local medical services.