Giles and Paula's Great Retirement Adventure
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In the middle of last year, @Madame Buttonfly had a go on the current tender. It is small, underpowered and has a tiller. Let’s just say, after about 5 minutes she asked me to take the helm, it was not her finest hour.
There is, of course, a silver lining in every cloud. I was given permission there and then to significantly up the budget for a tender for SAKURA as long as it had a steering wheel.
I got a mail today, it is ready, but they will hold until SAKURA is back in UK.
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@Nik Porchester Castle is a fine place for a walk, love it there, and obviously so does Chicken - bless him
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Six days in a classroom starts in one hour for me and @Madame Buttonfly - Sometimes (well quite often), I question my sanity….
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This will embarrass @Madame Buttonfly , but Jesus, is she owning this course? Yesterday, we did the second of two exams, it was on chartwork (Running Fixes, Estimated Position, Dead Reckoning, Course to Steer etc…..) It was long and very hard, but I was confident that I would pass, I knew I would make a few stupid and careless errors, because that is my way. I finished first and got a "solid work Giles" comment from the instructor, Paula took a bit (well actually a lot
) longer, but basically got 100%, she transposed one number by mistake, and her answers were so close to perfect, it really defied belief. I am so freakin proud of her. Oh, and in the earlier exam on lights, rules of the road etc, she did better than me too....We have one more assessment to do today, but we've basically been told we can't fail now. So we went out for a beer with the instructor after class yesterday. I bought this....
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That’s amazing well done both hope all goes well today .
The thought of exams/tests literally gives me anxiety. I had to do a Crane slinger/ signaller 3 day course a few years back qualification I needed to work on site erecting Timber Frame houses .Monday was a day in the classroom go over 90 questions along with the answers, Tuesday a day in the yard practical moving objects with the crane that we were going to be tested on, big AC units a oddly weighted motor and steel beams that part I was pretty confident as I’ve worked with cranes over 6 years but never really needed qualifications before.
Wednesday test day external examiner and I was first to go in and I was shiting it. There was no way I could process 90 questions and answers in that short space of time so I failed I was gutted.
Cost me another £250.00 to retake the exam on top of the £1500 already paid to book it .I remember I Revised all over the Christmas period and returned in January to resit the test and thank god passed the verbal test onto the practical was feeling confident ,practical test gets on the way then the examiner started shouting at me do you know how a bloody crane works you should be standing there! Shoving me to wear I should be .. now I was a reck thinking shit I’ve only failed it again but continued moved all the objects safely and back to the original spots and somehow he passed me phew…
Two months later I had to do a lift supervisor exam, lift supervisor explains the lift / lift plan to the crane operator and slingers overseas the lift
Another verbal exam had 100% and 100% on the practical didn’t want to go though that ordeal again so downloaded test papers and revised. Still hate test/exams
Sorry for the long winded story
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That's an absolutely flawless choice of beer based on the name… This was an option as well but based on Paula's results less prone to happen...
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Well done skippers….
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Way to go @Madame Buttonfly and @Giles ! I am proud of both of you for this entire project and all of the achievements required to bring it to bear, and also vicariously so excited for your lives at sea.
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I love watching and reading this thread. Well done you two!
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Next will be the practical part of Yachtmaster Offshore, requirements for which are:
- 50 days at sea on yachts up to 500gt2 which may be reduced to 25 days if the candidate already holds an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence3;
- 5 days as skipper on vessels less than 24m LOA, which may be reduced to 3 days if the candidate already holds an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence3;
- 2500 miles on yachts up to 500gt2, which may be reduced to 1250 miles if the candidate already holds an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence3;
- 5 passages over 60 miles long, which must include 2 overnight passages and 2 as skipper, which may be reduced to - 3 passages including 1 overnight and 1 as skipper if the candidate already holds an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence3.
Which we will both have after we have bought SAKURA back for Menorca, so we are planning to do it late Sept/Oct
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Thanks for your congratulations and kind words, it was an intense 6 days… but another big box ticked
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awesome work!
