Watertight Barrel

Windsurf boards are not really designed for carrying luggage, but with a bit of invention a raceboard can be persuaded to carry a few extra kilos.

I've opted for the sort of barrel used by canoeists and kayakers to carry most of my equipment. Among its many advantages are:

• robustness - the heavy duty plastic can take a few knocks.
• watertightness - 100% sealing, no problem putting your sleeping bag in here.
• ease of securing - I rigged up a 3:1 pully system with a cleat. The cylindrical shape is very helpful and allows for a rock solid fixing without any crushing of the barrel. The wide ribs at top and bottom also help prevent sliding.
• waves wash over easily - the barrel is round, so it has low resistance when hit by waves. Water also drains off so there is only minimal additional weight to a wet barrel compared to dry.
• ease of use - the lid (remember to secure with safety line) is easy to operate with cold hands.

My test barrel (see pictures) was a 25 litres model. The ability to carry some gear with me is absolutely critical to making a solo attempt at sailing round Britain feasible.