Back in August, Weaverbird performed a minor miracle, at least that's how it felt to me. I had cruised over from Pensarn, just south of Harlech, across Tremadog Bay to Porth Ceiriad, planning to end the day in Pwllheli. Even in Porth Ceiriad, once renowned for quiet piracy and aloud only with surf on cliff and shore, jetski season plagues all. A swell off Saint Tudwal's Islands, F3 from the SW. 

5ish, 400 yards or so off Gimblet Rock which marks Pwllheli from the sea, I noticed a gull off to port which did not fly off as they are wont to do. A minute or so later, there it was again, this time to starboard, still just swimming. Then it flew a couple of feet off the water appearing anchored. The herring gull was dragging a six foot length of fishing line to which was attached a small blob of seaweed. I'm now on herring gull wavelength but how to respond? I could not leave it to starve slowly, the tackle and dead bird in turn a threat to other sea life, but how do I look after a bird on a boat in a marina, or anywhere for that matter. A dilemma till instinct took over, and I began to try to catch the trailing line and weed. Once having started to stress the gull even more than it was already, paddling painfully no doubt, I knew I had to somehow complete the task. The seaweed was mostly a slippery lead weight, and it took too many attempts to wrap this round the boathook and gather in the gull as gently as I could. But the multiple manoeuvres were only possible at all in a boat as supremely responsive as Weaverbird, with its quickly reefed wingsail and quickly set steering. I thought about dropping sail and using the outboard but silence was calmer, and that seemed more important. 

The gull aboard and pecking madly, I covered its head and removed as much of the fishing tackle attached to its breast and beak as I could before placing it in the cabin. As we head up the channel into the marina, the sound of the outboard sent the gull into a shrieking flap. I frantically rang anyone I could I think of for help; friends, a vet, the RSPCB, the marina. Thank you all who tried to help, but there was no professional succour on the radar this early Saturday evening.

The marina have directed me to a berth and I'm rounding the pontoons to see someone waving on the end of one. Who's that? Looks like Jade but it can't be because he's already in Spain or somewhere prepping to race around the world. But it was Jade, with Lisa. Oh what a blessing. Two calm heads and skilful, caring hands take over, and complete the task. Lisa holds the gull, Jade expertly snips the metal of the tackle which springs off its beak; no blood, another blessing. A moment later and the gull is flying up and away amongst the masts.

Senseless fishing. But in those minutes, weaving about, I felt I was doing something right by Weaverbird and her inspiring maker, David Tyler. I know that when circumstances allow she can take me so much further than Ynys Enlli, but this little voyage was a very worthwhile one, the one with the saved life in it.

Lisa Berger and Jade Edwards-Leaney have just set out from Sydney on Wilson Around the World, in the Globe 40 (3rd Jan 2026).