February 2012
12 posts
4 tags
Powerboating
Teaching an RYA intermediate powerboat course today in Loch Roag on the Isle of Lewis. We are taking the students through to their Advanced endorsement and this is the fourth year I have take a group through from level to to assessment.
What I was struck by is now we do the navigation teaching to Day Skipper level before we do the Intermediate course the group get on much better with the...
4 tags
Powerboating
Teaching an RYA intermediate powerboat course today in Loch Roag on the Isle of Lewis. We are taking the students through to their Advanced endorsement and this is the fourth year I have take a group through from level to to assessment.
What I was struck by is now we do the navigation teaching to Day Skipper level before we do the Intermediate course the group get on much better with the...
2 tags
Star lit night
Staying at Borve Guest House in Benbecula, just arrived back and stepped out of the car to be stopped in my tracks by the breathtaking panorama of a star lit sky. I stood until I was so cold I couldn’t feel my feet.
First Aid
After a dreek run down through Lewis and Harris I find myself on the ferry over the Sound of Harris. The drizzle, rain and mist made the drive a viewless experience. It wasn’t a complete loss with a bacon and sausage roll from the Butty Bus at the pier in Leverburgh.
Heading the Benbecula to run a two day HSE first aid refresher course. I was hoping for a run along the machair after work...
2 tags
Dinner and Independence
Had a great dinner at Jamie Oliver’s restaurant in George Square Glasgow last night. We had far and ranging conversations; one was about Scottish independence.
One if my friends said he would be voting against it and when I asked why he said he didn’t have the time to research it to make an informed decision: I will admit to getting a little hot under the collar about this.
Surely...
3 tags
End of the week
After a week teaching powerboat navigation it is time to escape so heading out into the Castle Grounds in Stornoway for a blast on the mountain bike before catching the late flight to Glasgow.
Navigation in boats is quite tough to teach because for many people the mathematical skills needed they last used when they were a school and probably hated every moment of it now suddenly they are told you...
3 tags
Navigation
Teaching navigation to a powerboat driver; fish farmers are generally good drivers but the paper based navigation is a class room environment and that is hard in most cases. Today estimated positions (EP) and using tidal curves, tommorow we are on to course to steer (CTS)
2 tags
Running
While the rest of the UK is gripped by the fingery grip of Jack Frost we are having balmy 10 degree days so a short run this morning was pure pleasure, it was that fresh still weather with the sound of birds which is very rare to hear here in the Outer Hebrides. Shower, pancakes and then mountain biking with the kids this afternoon.
