Last Saturday was the last day of training (apologies for the late post – some problems with the ‘tinternet site!) and it was glorious sunshine, but was too windy to sail.  I think the worst of this was that this meant there were many childers in too hot sailing gear getting grumpy.

So what did we do? Did some random theory –

• Tying knots (anyone know how to do a Clove hitch?  Nope – me neither – let’s get the book and find out.  Is this a clove hitch?  No idea – lets go and find another instructor to check)
• Boat buoyancy (lets go kick the tyres of lots of people’s boats and then experiment by trying to get stuff to float off the side of the jetty.  Who knew marigold washing up gloves would make such good buoyancy tanks)

• Man overboard (don’t worry – only the THEORY – which I totally understand, although can’t perform myself – we’re back to that slowing down and stopping thing…)
• Boat Balancing (tie a load of topper hulls to a big rope off the end of the jetty and then get your team to do YMCA while standing on one leg.  I’m sure falling in cooled them all down)

• Safety equipment (got wrong for doing some of this in a rib)
• Capsize Recovery (my team rock – whole team in, out and victory dance on the bow before being picked up in 17 mins – so proud)

So could have been worse.

I’ve learnt heaps – probably more than the students.  In fact I feel a bit bad about that.  The biggest thing I have learnt is you need to really think about different things you can do to keep kids engaged – ALL THE TIME.  And the problem is you don’t know what you are actually going to do until you get there and see the weather and the kids you are working with – by which point in time you don’t have much time to think or plan.  So between now and my next course I am going to try and come up with things so I can pull them ‘out the bag’ when required.

I can’t wait to do it again… but have to admit as I sit here watching the sunset – I’m shattered!