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Wednesday 13 July 2011

RBE Day 10 - Sailing from Dartmouth to Brixham to "jetty bash"!


Wow - Day 10 already - this trip is flying by.  Its 7.20 right now and Im sitting in my cabin with a cuppa.  Pete generally gets up around 6.45 and its difficult to sleep after you been disturbed - its hard to creep around on a boat and impossible to make a sneaky cuppa!
Sun is shining and it is difficult to believe the gale warning I heard yesterday on the VHF.  We are planning to sail this morning to Brixham and practice "jetty bashing"! OMG!
One of the things I've been fearful of during this trip is parking this damn thing in marinas.  My old car is testimony to my poor skill in spatial awareness so mooring this 45 foot beast into a small space alongside other craft worth hundreds of thousands of pounds is indeed a challenge!  Wait and see - cameras will be at the ready!
Will update later!
Its now 9.30pm and it has been an interesting day indeed!  Went to Brixham as planned and was met by a gorgeous Nic Nak who took my stern line - bless!  Nice to see her and Stu again, (Nicky and Stuart White), I bought myself a lovely sailing book and it was then back to hard work.  However, Nic uttered the lovely words - "have you any washing you would like me to do - its no trouble"!!!  Much to the envy of the other crew, I stripped my bed and sorted her 2 loads to do (so grateful to you Nic)
Now back to "Pontoon Bashing" and Duncan put me on 1st turn.  Its amazing how a good skipper can make manoeuvring a boat look so easy, but really, it isnt, believe me!  However, with strict instructions from Duncan, our trusty skipper, I managed to berth RBE onto a pontoon (with only a little bump - sorry Neil and Keith!) and did it a 2nd time too!
It was Johns turn next 
Just look at that concentration on his face!

Dunc says "Perfect" to John!



he managed it beautifully - Duncan actually uttered the words "perfect" - what a class swot!

How cool does she look!


Next on the helm was Chris and she was fab too!
RBE rafted along on the town jetty in Dartmouth

Brixham marina on a Wed morning is normally a quiet place but it soon seemed like a Saturday afternoon on a bank holiday weekend as every boat in the area seemed to arrive!  We soon lacked any space on the visitor pontoon to practice boat manoeuvres so we left and headed back to Dartmouth - without my washing!!!!
Practising berthing in Dartmouth was a trickier event altogether for this time there was tide to consider - AND crowds of tourists who enjoyed this free entertainment!  However, Mike did a fabulous job and brought the boat to the pontoon within inches without any lines (and just a touch of help from Duncan, or am I just being jealous?)
Alongside this, we were also learning how to lasso a line around a cleat on a pontoon - Duncan made this look so easy!  
Mike tried it first, but it would be rude of me here to mention the fact that he let go of the whole rope turning the lasso into an unreachable pile of rope on the jetty!
My turn came and I managed to wrap it around a light at the end of the pontoon - something I couldnt possibly repeat even if requested!
Eventually finished at 4.15 and we brought the boat to our final mooring.  I then breathed a sigh of relief thinking I could rest - oh no!  We now had 90 mins of study as we needed to finish our "Diesel Engine Management Course"  I had to learn about cooling systems, alternators, fuel injection....so many more words to add to my vocabulary!  I am now learning how to check that a diesel engine is functioning well!  I might have to get this particular book out again.  However, if the engine fails - Im rather hoping I can do something about it rather than having to call a man to help out - fingers crossed girls!
During this lesson, I prepared food for dinner whilst studying diesel engines (multi-tasking at its best - thumbs up or down for feminism!)
Having finished that, I cadged a lift back to Brixham to pick my washing up from Nics.  All clean, dried and folded  - god bless you!
Back on the boat - finished dinner (Spaghetti Carbonara) and to a relaxing evening.
We now have 2 days off before starting our shore based courses - First Aid, RADAR, VHF, personal survival, day skipper theory which starts on Saturday.  I have so much studying to do - and somehow think these 2 days off will not be much of a rest!
The boat is moored right alongside the towns pontoon - just a step into the centre of Dartmouth.


View from our boat

Its a fabulous position as Dartmouth is a fascinating place to visit - but we are a bit of a tourist attraction here and a real attraction for the seagulls during meal times!
Time for my sleep now - I've missed out on my nap today........goodnight x

4 comments:

  1. No problem with the washing love but i hope my neighbours don't think any less of me for seeing that row of ctotch-less leopard skin thongs!!!!!

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  2. sorry shouls say CROTCH-LESS!!!!!!!

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  3. em perish the thought, ive seen ms beckett in her undies but never the leopard skin, i can however see her owning a pair or 3 hehehe

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  4. Think your typing needs attention Nicky White!!

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