November is rarely considered a good time to be on the water. The shorter days, added with the cold and wind does not make it attractive to be at sea. However, this week we were treated to a break in the weather and took the opportunity to do some training.
Training in the late autumn makes the winter feel shorter, reminds us that summer was not so far behind us and prepares us for the season ahead, as well as keeping skills polished and up to date during the quieter months.
OneOcean's Powerboat Level 2 student threw himself in to the training with such positivity that even the autumn sun couldn't outshine him! He was brilliant, always keen to learn, applying himself with great enthusiasm thoughout.
Cardiff Bay is such a fantastic place to train, as it is a 12 month destination and workable in any weather. We were just ahead of the named Storm Conall that eventually brought in some nasty winds further north, But here, we enjoyed flat calm with little wind - the calm before the storm. The weather was cold, so too the water and the sun did little to bring the temperature up. That said, we didn't feel the cold as we worked through the exercises.
First up was the handover to the student where he took control of the vessel and familiarised himself with the throttle and helm. Slow manoeuvres towards the north of the bay were followed by a run towards Mermaid Quay and an exercise on how to approach a mooring buoy. Then to the pontoons and alongside approaches before a session inside the pontoons on turning in confined spaces.
The sun stayed with us throughout which made for a very pleasant afternoon on the water. The student put Scorpio on the plane back towards Penarth Marina where we entered the lock and moored up just as dusk set in. A great afternoon on the bay during a break in the weather, a real November treat.
On our second day we locked out and the student had the opportunity to helm through the barrage and out to sea. Despite the weather warnings there was little wind and on a rising tide on a range of 8.3m the conditions were excellent considering the time of year. The forecast did report that there would be a dramatic increase in winds so we pressed on with training as efficiently as possible knowing that conditions could deteriorate quickly.
In the event, this didn't happen and the student demonstrated Man Overboard Routines on multiple occasions with some skill and good understanding. He then completed his passage plan from the Outer Wrach Westerly Cardinal to South Cardiff, South Cardinal Buoy, then on to Mid Cardiff Starboard Lateral Buoy completing his passage with a return to the Outer Wrach mark, before hading back to the barrage for a lock in.
We did venture back to Mermaid Quay whilst we waited for the detritus and storm debris to be collected from around the gate in to the marina and this gave the student a further opportunity to practice his close quarter skills. Clear skies and a few hardy dinghy sailors kept us company during the last hour of light before we locked in to the marina by dusk.
A thoroughly enjoyable afternoon on the water and and a worthy candidate for the RYA Powerboat Level 2 Certificate.
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