The rigmarole of stretching a cover over a dinghy while it is bobbing about in choppy water, prior to hoisting it on davits, can become a very damp business if you’re not careful. Leaning right over either end, trying to stretch a cover over the wet bow and stern pods can quite easily result in a head-first dip in the drink.

   Britannia’s dinghy is an old model C10X Caribe RIB, ten feet long, so at least it has a solid floor to scramble about in. Soft bottoms are not as stable, so the chance of slipping overboard is greater.