Brain ache

August 19th, 2009

It’s taken me a couple of days to blog about my last week of training.  Mainly because I just can’t get my brain to start working again. It’s having a rest after the punishing work out it was given last week.

Apparently the work we did was equivalent to doing a full GCSE in the space of a week. And it supposedly required you to have done your Day Skipper ticket previously so that you had a working knowledge of the concepts covered, otherwise - as the book said - ‘you will have a problem trying to assimilate all the information required of this challenging course’.

They weren’t kidding.

For six solid days, we started at 9am, ended at 4.30ish and continued to do homework until 7pm. Then we were supposed to go home and study further, but by then my brain was too knackered, so I’d get up early instead to do my studying first thing in the morning before starting the next day’s slog.

We covered:

• International Collision Regulations: these are kinda important to know. They help you avoid crashing into big ships. So we had to learn off by heart all the different lights boat should show, signals they should sound in fog, shapes they should display, rules about who has right of way in any given situation and international buoyage systems. And you’ll pleased to know that the buoys in the UK aren’t the same as the buoys in say American waters (just to make things easy). But as this bit was straight studying - and I am prone to be a girly swot - I managed to get 100% for that exam. Hooray!

So by day two we’d gotten that exam out of the way, so that we could move onto:

• Tides: You see I haven’t spent much time contemplating tides. Sure I know that the sea goes in and out but beyond that I didn’t know much more than what was covered in my rudimentary primary school geography lessons. So we had a refresher on the role the moon and sun play in moving the world’s oceans about. That bit was interesting. Then we had to try and work out tidal heights, set (bearing) and drift (strength). This involves using tidal charts and computation tables and tidal ladders and crocodiles teeth diagrams (don’t ask). I can honestly say that by the end of  it my brain ached, and it had nothing to do with the cheap wine the night before. I came close to tears several times at the sheer frustration of not being able to see the wood for the trees.

But just when we thought that we’d got it, bam! In came the next challenge.

• Chartwork: You get a big map with bazillions of tiny symbols on it, a plotter (think protactor type thing from school days), a set of dividers, pencil and rubber. You had to work out where a boat was, given a set of coordinates or try to take a fix using landmarks. Then you had to estimate where the boat might be, taking into account the tide and wind. Or you had to work out what course to steer taking all the factors into account and not forgetting to convert from True to Magnetic to Compass courses (more little formulas to remember). By the end of it, I was ready to stab myself through the heart with the dividers.

Then we got to put it together - the tides and the charts to do:

• Pilotage and passage planning: this is where you say in a WW2 British army general type voice: ‘We are here.  We want to be thar.” And you need to figure out the best route to get there, taking the myriad of different complicating factors into account.

Having realised that we are highly unlikely to end up anywhere close to Brazil if navigation is left up to me, we moved onto:

• Meteorology: weather is a pretty big subject and I’m fairly certain that those chirpy people on the telly who’re constantly pointing out more expected rain in the UK, have had to study for several years to be able to do it. We got one day. ONE. To cover the lot. So we learnt how weather patterns are created, how land and sea breezes are created, different types of fog and how they’re created and the creation and passage of depressions (I had a depression of my own at this point). We had to learn to read weather charts (which I can now do and am proud to say that I can spot an occluded front from a thousand paces.) I actually really enjoyed meteorology and trying to figure out which way the wind was likely to be blowing when a low and high pressure system were nudging each other. It all ended with us acting out cloud formations (I believe there’s a Youtube video floating around somewhere…)

After writing another exam on weather, we also covered a bunch of assorted topics like marine pollution, stability and safety at sea. All of this involved us staring blankly as our brains were officially full.

In total we had to write three exams and submit three assignments. The final exam was the doozy - the chartwork one. By some sheer miracle I passed (with a Good Pass). As a result, I have now earned my yachtmaster theory certificate. I can add it to my competent crew and sea survival certificates. All of this is setting me up for a future career at sea, should I wish to pursue one. At this point, I’m not convinced…

There were some good things about the week. Firstly it was fabulous to use my brain in a completely different way, although I might have overdone it. Secondly learning to read weather maps is like learning a new language. I feel as though I can now understand what the weather people are saying instead of just looking at the pretty pictures of clouds stuck on the map. Thirdly, I now feel super prepared to go to sea. And lastly, being down in Gosport there was a real buzz.

There were people finishing part B training weeks, people starting part Cs, people doing first aid and sea survival courses and others doing media training. It was great to keep bumping into people I’ve already met and meeting new team members. It’s all coming together. And with less than a month to go, there’s a definite sense of excitement building.

This Sunday I’ll be heading back to Gosport to do a first run of shopping for our food supplies. Then I will attempt to go back the next week during prep week to help organise the food but I will have my kids with me. My plan is to get them to take the labels off the tins of food (a job that has to be done) but I do wonder whether their involvement will mean a lucky dip approach to what we eat on any given day.

Then I potentially have media training on 29 Aug and finally, the boats leave Gosport for Hull on 31 Aug. The boys and I will be heading down for the big farewell (husband will be abroad). Then I have a few days to get the boys used to the idea of going back to school, get them off to school, pack everything I need, hold a 4th birthday party for son 2 and then I’m off! (gulp - how did come round so fast?!)

One excellent thing that happened last week was the nanny had her first week with the boys and it was a resounding success. They loved her. My husband loved her (so much that he wants her fulltime - apparently she ironed his boxer shorts and now he’s in love). And she managed brilliantly. The house is now full of artwork (not only does she iron, she also does arts & crafts - two things I don’t).

So I can leave knowing that they are all well taken care of. Although I fear that I might be a bit of a let down when I return and we revert to the house of unironed, non crafty things.

Must go get breakfast sorted now. But will post again before I go.

Tags: meteorology, navigation, tides, Training

Entry Filed under: Training