more of the dinghy

           Third day and last of the lessons. i woke up this morning hoping there would be adverse weather condition and it would be called off. Got to the sailing club and hoped nobody had turned up.
Nope The lesson was on.The kids being kids were full of enthusiasum bounding about the changing rooms like a herd of gazzelle. Karen and i were slightly less enthusiastic but rallied round thanks to the kids.
Karen and i compared bruises. I had lots of little ones like a rash of them but she had some belters. Stiff bones were discussed , why we were putting ourselves through this was discussed The battle of the wetsuit commenced , was won but only with a lot of grunting , trapped hair and abit of help.
we were told to get the picos out and ready. We knew this , we did this. my rudder and dagger board were apparently missing , I said they were in cupboard no 2 because that is where i was told to put them yesterday. They looked still couldn't find. I went there they were in THE OTHER cupboard no 2 along with the mops brushes etc. I thought it was a bit odd at the time but you can only do what you are told can'y you.
Big laughs me  being defensive and then laughing., covers off masts on sails unfurled most of the way because it was windy.. Coming off shore. then came the scary bit. Rachael told us to sail out to the buoy tack and then go up the channel , ahhhh.She would catch us up with the powerboat {rib].
Now the other Karen was a pro compared to me at tacking. i still can't get a hang of the wiggily tiller. I do the tack better now because i remember to let my mainsail out abit so i am not going so fast and doing the car equivilant to a handbrake turn.
We both did it. huge pat on the back and chuffed to bits. The wind was behind us and we SAILED actually sailed. I still can't sit up on the side of the pico because i just end up slipping into a heap. So i went on my knees. That way i could still lean to balance the boat but get over [ abit easier cos i was lower ] to the otherside to tack Karen looked great, both of us keeping straight even though it was gusting abit. Then i and later found out Karen too , was abit worried we were getting into a wide bit where loads of lovely big expensive yachts were moored. But where was Rachael. I couldn't turn round because i thought i would screw this lovely bit of sailing up. It was ok she came up beside us and told us to go left. I dont know how but i managed to turn left without tacking , nice and slow and nice and wide around the buoy.then we were to tack back and forth between 2 buoys . It went wrong and then worse and i did a lovely 360 twice skooted off at the second one and got to the other bouy TACKED.and then saw Karens boat upended and Karen bobbing a short distance away. I screamed at Rachael. Got told to stay going in a big circle while she sorted out Karen. I really struggled trying to tack asit was so gusty. so i went nose into wind and stopped and watched karen get her boat up..
I was so busy watching i didn't realise i was drifting in to a big yellow buoy and hit it. Pushed off it got my sail in . The wind had changed and took me straight over to a concrete wall where if i hadn't of crabbed across the boat , would have capsized. i was so close i could have touched the wall but everytime i tried to move the boat was going to tip.RAAACHAAAELLLL. HELP.. Karen went of doing her super tacking. and Rachel came over to me , told me to bring my sail in and i would sail off. Nope i capsized and for some unbeknown reason decided to try and hold on to the boat. She screaming at me to let go i did . clouted the boom with leg and head on way down and into the very cold water.. I can do this. I tried to push the boat into the wind so it wouldn't sail off before i got in. But it wouldn't move Rachel nosed it with the powerboat. I went round to the daggerboard and was hanging of it with my legs wrapped around it and it wouldn,t budge. Rachael told me i had got my mast stuck in the mud and went to save me.

Alot of people won'realise just how tiring it is to move in the water with a wetsuit and a buoyancy aid on and rubber boots. I didn't and i am quite nimble in the water. but you seem to be fighting against your buoyancy aid all the time and there is nothing to push of to give you leverage.
Well we got it up and all my ropes were tangled and i got in but was shaking with the effort and very cold. so Rachael asked if i wanted to go back for nibbles. YES i really would like that. So i wrapped up my mast took my boom off Rachael got a tow rope on. And Karen got stuck just where i did . She was going for nibbles too. There was some effort in getting karen out because there was a lot of weed and she was towing me as well but she did it with style.Karen got in the rib and i stayed on my boat to steer. it was abit difficult to steer as the chop was buffeting the boat. We made it back tied up the picos took up the rudders and went for nibbles. I have been good and not smoking during these sessionsbut told the girls I am going for a fag.. Met up out side the club because we  were just to wet. Ate talked rested. Rachael asked if we wanted to go out in the picos again. Me and the other Karen didn't even look at oneanother but went , maybe a bit loudly . NO. So we did knots  put the picos past , showered and talked abit more.
In all This has been a great experience. Racael has been a great instructor . Showing infinate patience , humour [ at the right bits] kindness and an ability to know when we have reached our limit even when we dont know. Pushed us on with encouragement. and above all made us feel that sailing is achievable , we can do it. We are not anywhere skilled but we have the basics . She did get us sailing on our own in our own boats. At the beginning i thought that that would be maybe abit beyond me and was happy to do it with her in the boat. And what is amazing is that it was all done in 12 hrs over the three days.
So i would just like to give Rachael Hurst senior instructor [ she is a lot younger than me] a great big round of applause And although i do intend never to set foot in a pico again. i can now look at the ropes and sails on my boat. know where they go what they do. Moor my boat up Tell where the wind is coming from and get a thrill when the sails fill up are set right and the boat powers on. And the most important thing is i know how to stop.. and i have learned all this without falling out with Mark.

And i did all this with the loveliest  crewmate ever Karen , who was there all the time with a kind and sympathetic word a great sense of humour. and an amazing you can't get one over on me attitude, always just getting back in and trying again. absolutely wonderful.

                                       THE MED HERE WE COME!!! ! !.