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VHF course
Hopefully by 1700 this afternoon I will be the proud possessor of a VHF Short Range Certificate, authorising me to operate marine radios for communications other than Maydays.
Wish me luck!
Wish me luck!
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Plans afloat
Looks like I've found a Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Theory evening class course for this academic year. The next step in my Great Plan to run away to sea :-)
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(no subject)
I'm getting that sea-itch again. That need to feel the ground less solid beneath my feet.
Master and Commander and Pirates of the Caribbean sent me off sailing. I may have gone with romantic notions about being at sea (notions soon eradicated by sharp winds and hard work!), but what I found I didn't expect: that I love being at sea. That at sea, out of my element, I feel in my element. That the open ocean draws me in a way that pottering on beaches or harbour-hopping along the coast will never do (although these activities are better than nothing, of course).
I truly didn't expect it. I remember sitting on a headland near Boscastle last New Year, gazing out at the Atlantic Ocean, and thinking just how alien it was. How we can never really be part of it. That maybe I'd settle for dry land after all. Little did I know.
John Masefield had the way of it, when he wrote Sea-Fever.
All I know is that right now, shore-bound and land-locked, I long to go to sea again.
Master and Commander and Pirates of the Caribbean sent me off sailing. I may have gone with romantic notions about being at sea (notions soon eradicated by sharp winds and hard work!), but what I found I didn't expect: that I love being at sea. That at sea, out of my element, I feel in my element. That the open ocean draws me in a way that pottering on beaches or harbour-hopping along the coast will never do (although these activities are better than nothing, of course).
I truly didn't expect it. I remember sitting on a headland near Boscastle last New Year, gazing out at the Atlantic Ocean, and thinking just how alien it was. How we can never really be part of it. That maybe I'd settle for dry land after all. Little did I know.
John Masefield had the way of it, when he wrote Sea-Fever.
All I know is that right now, shore-bound and land-locked, I long to go to sea again.
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Sailing
The floor's still not exactly stable, which is mildly entertaining. Obviously it doesn't take me long to get my sea legs.
Sailing this weekend was utterly brilliant, and I've learned so much (including just how much I still need to learn). There were four of us (two experienced, two trainees) on a 32-foot sloop, just messing about in boats. I can now bring a yacht neatly alongside the dock, even if it's into a space between two other boats. I can manoeuver around in harbour, including turning through 180 degrees within the boat's own length. I can pick up a mooring buoy. I can retrieve a man overboard (OK, a bucket-tied-to-a-fender overboard, but the principle is the same!) when under power (under sail is far, far more difficult - that's what our 'instructors' were practising). I can put the sails up and reef the main. I know the basics of how to tack and how to gybe. I know what the boat feels like sailing with the wind from different points. I know how to back the sails to come to a halt.
But best of all, absolutely best of all, I know how it feels when the boat tightens up as she comes up into the wind, sailing close hauled and heeled sharply over in a fresh breeze, pulling against you to bring her head further into the wind so that you have to brace yourself against the wheel to keep her course steady, with the deck heaving under your feet and the spray in your face.
Awesome. I'm hooked.
Sailing this weekend was utterly brilliant, and I've learned so much (including just how much I still need to learn). There were four of us (two experienced, two trainees) on a 32-foot sloop, just messing about in boats. I can now bring a yacht neatly alongside the dock, even if it's into a space between two other boats. I can manoeuver around in harbour, including turning through 180 degrees within the boat's own length. I can pick up a mooring buoy. I can retrieve a man overboard (OK, a bucket-tied-to-a-fender overboard, but the principle is the same!) when under power (under sail is far, far more difficult - that's what our 'instructors' were practising). I can put the sails up and reef the main. I know the basics of how to tack and how to gybe. I know what the boat feels like sailing with the wind from different points. I know how to back the sails to come to a halt.
But best of all, absolutely best of all, I know how it feels when the boat tightens up as she comes up into the wind, sailing close hauled and heeled sharply over in a fresh breeze, pulling against you to bring her head further into the wind so that you have to brace yourself against the wheel to keep her course steady, with the deck heaving under your feet and the spray in your face.
Awesome. I'm hooked.
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Sailing a square rigger
If you were to ask me, “Was it like you expected?”, I’d have to say no. But I’d be hard pressed to say in exactly what way it wasn’t like what I’d expected.
If you were to ask me, “Would you do it again?”, the answer would be yes, absolutely, tomorrow if I had the chance.
Was it amazing? Totally.
The thing I can most compare it to (and bear with me here, it will make sense) is having your first baby. Wonderful in so many ways that you never expected, but not the lovely romantic notion of how it would be that you had before it came along. You certainly don’t get much time to sit around and contemplate the romance of sailing a tall ship while you’re actually doing it! But (just like small babies) although it’s very intense and quite tiring, it’s well worth the effort.
I learnt two (for me) very important things last week:
All I need now is to go and see Master and Commander again with the benefit of my newly-acquired knowledge... :-)
If you were to ask me, “Would you do it again?”, the answer would be yes, absolutely, tomorrow if I had the chance.
Was it amazing? Totally.
The thing I can most compare it to (and bear with me here, it will make sense) is having your first baby. Wonderful in so many ways that you never expected, but not the lovely romantic notion of how it would be that you had before it came along. You certainly don’t get much time to sit around and contemplate the romance of sailing a tall ship while you’re actually doing it! But (just like small babies) although it’s very intense and quite tiring, it’s well worth the effort.
I learnt two (for me) very important things last week:
- I am really quite a brave person. I know that with the caving and all, you’re probably laughing at me for saying this, but I’m used to being around cavers who are all the same, so none of what I do underground seems particularly brave to me. But on this voyage I was in a watch of 12, and only 4 of us would go right up to set and stow the royals and topgallants. It’s done my self-esteem a power of good.
- I love being at sea. Forget the rigging and sails etc, I actually really enjoyed just being on a ship at sea - the movement, the night watches, the ocean, the whole package. I can’t wait to sail again, perhaps next time on something a bit smaller where I have a bigger role to play. I intend to start working towards my RYA Coastal Skipper and Ocean Yachtmaster qualifications - this trip counts as two qualifying voyages (Lisbon to Gib, and Gib to Cadiz) and also give me valuable night hours, which can be hard to get when you’re still inexperienced. I’ve got my logbook all properly made up so I now need to look for suitable theory and practical courses to take things further.
All I need now is to go and see Master and Commander again with the benefit of my newly-acquired knowledge... :-)
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Random thoughts from a Red Watch topman
OK, so I'm back. Pretty tired, still not really sure what day it is (shouldn't I be on watch or doing Happy Hour or something?) and the ground is definitely not behaving (can quite understand why Jack walks the way he does!). Sleeping in a bed that wasn't moving was actually quite a strange experience last night. Typing this is pretty odd because the keyboard doesn't seem very stable...
I've got my journal which I'll edit and put up as soon as I can, and some photos also (I'm hoping that someone has a pic of me aloft). Need to spend some time with the little people today, though.
And I must just say that I have an immense amount of respect and admiration for the sailors in the old days who went aloft without safety harnesses and who had to rely on the wind to get everywhere, without the option of using the engine.
Stowing the fore topgallant in a Force 6 with the ship making 11.5 knots out of the Straits of Gibraltar at dusk has to be one of the biggest buzzes of my life so far *huge grin*
I've got my journal which I'll edit and put up as soon as I can, and some photos also (I'm hoping that someone has a pic of me aloft). Need to spend some time with the little people today, though.
And I must just say that I have an immense amount of respect and admiration for the sailors in the old days who went aloft without safety harnesses and who had to rely on the wind to get everywhere, without the option of using the engine.
Stowing the fore topgallant in a Force 6 with the ship making 11.5 knots out of the Straits of Gibraltar at dusk has to be one of the biggest buzzes of my life so far *huge grin*
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Hi from Gib
No time to say much, but I thought I'd give you a quick update to make you all jealous.
I'm currently in an internet cafe in Gibraltar, and we sail for Cadiz at 17.00 this afternoon.
We sailed into Gib yesterday afternoon with four dolphins riding our bow wave. I've been up on the main royal and topgallant yards while setting and handing sails, and I've done several turns at the helm. My vocabulary of nautical terms has expanded dramatically! I've also done my fair share of scrubbing decks etc. And yesterday I got mugged by a macaque up on the Rock.
I'm tired and still excited and very happy right now - can't wait to get to sea again! We're the watch taking her out of Gib this afternoon, then our next watch will be the morning one (04.00-08.00) which is my favourite - watching the dawn come up at sea takes some beating.
I've been keeping my journal up to date, so I'll put it up to bore you all when I get home next weekend.
Love to all!
I'm currently in an internet cafe in Gibraltar, and we sail for Cadiz at 17.00 this afternoon.
We sailed into Gib yesterday afternoon with four dolphins riding our bow wave. I've been up on the main royal and topgallant yards while setting and handing sails, and I've done several turns at the helm. My vocabulary of nautical terms has expanded dramatically! I've also done my fair share of scrubbing decks etc. And yesterday I got mugged by a macaque up on the Rock.
I'm tired and still excited and very happy right now - can't wait to get to sea again! We're the watch taking her out of Gib this afternoon, then our next watch will be the morning one (04.00-08.00) which is my favourite - watching the dawn come up at sea takes some beating.
I've been keeping my journal up to date, so I'll put it up to bore you all when I get home next weekend.
Love to all!
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I'm going to do it!
I'm soooo excited I hardly know where to put myself!
*random squealing, and lots of it!*
The first week in February I'm going to be one of the crew sailing a tall ship from Lisbon to Cadiz. This ship, to be precise:
Just been on the phone to the Classic Sailing Holidays woman (who sails tall ships herself) and she was telling me how she loves going up in the rigging and how, me being a caver and all, I'll probably love it too.
Can't wait! Just can't wait!
*random squealing, and lots of it!*
The first week in February I'm going to be one of the crew sailing a tall ship from Lisbon to Cadiz. This ship, to be precise:
Just been on the phone to the Classic Sailing Holidays woman (who sails tall ships herself) and she was telling me how she loves going up in the rigging and how, me being a caver and all, I'll probably love it too.
Can't wait! Just can't wait!