A dad-of-three who was found dead off the coast of Scotland told his wife he "would be fine" hours before drowning after his lifejacket failed, an inquest heard.
Bryn Watkins, 74, from Kidderminster near Birmingham, started experiencing engine problems on October 18 last year while on a solo trip for the "last sail of the season".
A fisherman found his body in the water at Kames Bay on the Isle of Bute at roughly 8am the following morning near his "beached" yacht and dinghy.
Sergeant Christopher Dibbs, based at Rothesay Police Station, attended the scene and said Mr Watkins' lifejacket did not inflate, reports Birmingham Live.
A post mortem found his cause of death was drowning and that he had signs of hypothermia.
The grandad, who was an experienced sailing instructor, had been keeping in touch with his wife Jenny and spoke of engine issues hours before his death, the inquest was told.
He decided to sail to a marina five miles away, where he could attach the Athena 2 yacht to a buoy, saying to stop worrying about him" and that "he'd be fine".
Mrs Watkins said: ""I spoke to him every day of his trip. When I rang him at 7pm that night, he was not far from Kames Bay and could see the red buoy. He needed to tack the boat and his last words to me were 'stop worrying Jen, I'll be fine'."
There was no evidence that his life jacket had been examined and the family are trying to get it returned to them from police in Scotland, Worcestershire Coroner's Court heard.
Mrs Watkins added: "There was a newer lifejacket on the boat but he preferred the one he usually wore.
"The lifejacket should have inflated on impact but didn't.
"Bryn was an optimistic man and wanted to sail and I don't know if he'd serviced the lifejacket that year. I did nag him about these things."
Mr Watkins had previously sailed solo from Plymouth to Scotland and had recently been the Commodore at Bartley Green and Dudley Sailing Club, the inquest heard.
His wife said: "Bryn was generally a happy, contented and optimistic man who loved his family.
"He loved sailing. He'd always wanted to sail around the British Isles in his own boat, so we bought the Athena 2 yacht in 2016.
"He enjoyed single-handed sailing and would occasionally go to Scotland to sail alone. On this occasion, he'd decided to have a last sail of the season before I met him."
She tried to ring him numerous times after 10pm but assumed he was asleep or had taken his hearing aids out when she received no response.
After growing concerned the next morning, she phoned the marina and was transferred to the police.
Speaking on behalf of investigator John Field, Worcestershire Assistant Coroner James Puze said: "At some stage, he dropped the main sail continuing under the jib alone but was then unable to attach a rope to the buoy.
"After failing, he decided to stop close to the buoy and then used the dingy to take the rope to the buoy. It's not easy to attach a rope to a buoy when sailing single-handedly.
"Mr Field speculates that at some stage while getting into or preparing the dingy on the deck, he fell into the water. Cold water shock and or other events may have made him incapable of inflating his life jacket (manually)."
He recorded a verdict of accidental death, adding: "It is unclear how he came to be in the water."
Mr Watkins was a keen sailor, as well as a Wolverhampton Wanderers supporter who loved trains.
In a statement paying tribute to him, Bartley Green Sailing Club said: "It is with sadness that we informed members of the passing of one of our former Commodores Bryn Watkins at the age of 74.
"Bryn sailed a Supernova at the club and was Commodore from 1997 to 1998."
