It seems I’m the early bird on the boat! Up early, I sat on deck enjoying the early sunshine, taking photos
And drinking tea. Like last night – it is the calm before the storm! I watched the Victoria 26 go past – we “raced her” to Arbroath yesterday! (we won!)
I looked like a right little class swot as I sat at the table with my books and charts around me as they boys appeared blearly eyed. I didnt let them know I had just sat down of course!
Tank has been putting us through our paces again today, and we have all worked hard. I’m glad to say that secondary ports and interpolation is not part of a foreign language to me any more and computation of rates is easy peasy! I might of course change my mind as we are planning to sit our coastal skipper/yacht master exams by the end of the week, and for yacht master, it is a 75% pass rate – gulp!
Its difficult for us adults learning again after so long out of the classrooms for us. We are all intelligent adults who have been to college or University, and have all held responsible and important roles in our lives – John was a vicar of a parish and has been responsible for training of other clergy, Mike has run his own building company and I was the manager of a busy innercity birth unit. So you would think we would have no problem with learning – but as you get older and studying has been something you have done in the dim and distant past, it gets trickier to get the grey matter going!
I’m certainly enjoying it, I admit to getting frustrated with myself when I don’t grasp something straight away and get things wrong (yes I know I rarely admit to that!!) but gradually the little lights are turning on and the path is becoming illuminated!
We have spent the whole day studying, apart from a lunch break where I mixed leftovers into a pan with pasta, ham and cheese (very tasty by the way!!)
The boat has been swaying and shaking as another storm, sorry, gale this time, hits the area – and even in our lovely safe sanctuary – an innner marina – we recorded a Wind Force 7 on the instruments!
Its now evening time, and I’m reaping the benefits of training the boys up along the way – Mike has been to the shops with a list and John is now preparing all the vegetables for tonight. We are having Sweet and Sourbroathed Pork! (If you are confused, you may like to know that I did mention a few days ago that we are trying to name our food after the place we are visiting – but its going to be tricky being in Arbroath for a few days!) I am sipping a G&T and writing this and giving him my orders along the way – “chop the carrots into small sticks……cut the pork into cubes……..slice the mushrooms……pour me another G&T” Wonderful!
I’m now sitting in Wetherspoons uploading several days worth of blog – sorry if you have been missing it, but our skipper hasnt let me head to a pub for a while……..
On that note, blog finally uploaded, its time to head back to the boat. The boat will be a rocking, I hope no one comes a knocking – oh errr vicar!! Goodnight!
