Bay Sea School Ltd

Stopped for lunch at The Stork, Condor Green. It's been a while. What a transformation of the back room. Anybody remember the evening workshops we used to run there?

For anybody wondering why things have been so quiet with Bay Sea School; John's had two total knee replacement ops. this year. The first in June and the second in September. He's just walked 3 miles and doing well!

https://imray.com/news/imray-chart-publishing/

Imray to phase out chart publishing and refocus activities We’re currently building this section of the site to provide ideas and information for your trips. Let us know which destinations you’d like to see featured!

View of ARC 2024 which set off on Sunday.

If you missed John's Diesel Engine course and are wondering what 'winterising your engine' means, here are some timely tips from the RYA on how to protect your engine during the cold weather.

Winterising your boat engine Winterising your boat engine will help it to maintain its health during the colder months.

Last Call for 2024 Theory Courses - https://mailchi.mp/da47e6772c43/august-newsletter-10841412
There are still a few places left on the Diesel Engine, Day Skipper and Yachtmaster theory courses starting very soon. You'll have to wait until next year if you miss these! Check the dates now.

Last of the season's sailing courses for Comp Crew, Day Skipper & mile-building.
The last sail brought an unexpected training experience for the crew. They'd a problem with the mainsail and were motoring back to Largs when a Mayday came over the radio. John responded to offer assistance. The coastguard accepted. Meanwhile the lifeboat was launched and the situation downgraded to a Panpan. Seeing the lifeboat approach the casualty, John asked the coastguard if he could stand down now. You can see from the track when that happened and the response!

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/KtgNmQsY9q19ywoz/

66-year-old Mick had been fishing with a friend at Morecambe Bay when he got trapped by the tide. Surrounded on all sides by rapidly rising water in freezing cold conditions, he called 999 and spoke to the Coastguard who reassured him whilst rescuers raced to his aid. As the waters rose, Mick was given the RNLI's Float to Live safety messaging. • Float on your back • Tilt your head back with your ears submerged • Relax and try to breathe normally Fortunately for Mick, help arrived when he was up to chest in water. This is his story. #FloatToLive #WaterSafety #DrowningPrevention

The close of day 1 for Day Skippers and Competent Crew this week in the Clyde.
There's no AIS aboard the yacht so Google's the only way to see where they are!
Looks like a beautiful sunset over the Isle of Bute.

I've just come across this and it reminded me of one of John's Yachtmaster Skills sessions last week.

We were waiting for the 3 green lights to lock out of the marina and instead of just circling around aimlessly, he suggested the helm find out whether the boat had a kick one way or the other in astern.

It also sparked memories of our old cruising yacht which did have a strong kick to starboard. I experienced the folly of trying to make it turn against that kick while being blown sideways down the fairway at Largs! Fortunately I realised my mistake before running out of fairway!

It was one of the many learning experiences in my pre-Yachtmaster Exam days!

Propwalk The big secret of handling a single screw boat in tight water is to use the torque of the propeller to pull her round. In this video, I spell out how I’ve se...

3-day Yachtmaster Skills Course next weekend - https://mailchi.mp/5551adbeda79/august-newsletter-9612644

Back to the hebrides summer cruise.
Leaving Puilladobhrain to head south we had to beat our way for the first part of the passage through the Sound of Inch. We were approaching that windy corner between Inch Island and Easdale Sound where a SW wind blows straight from the Atlantic. Suddenly a squall hit us for about 20 or 30 mins. I couldn't see a thing! My glasses were streaming and the pelting rain felt like hailstones on my forehead. We were almost clear of Inch Island but with so very little visibility and a depth gauge upset by the sudden heeling motion I couldn't be sure. The safest thing was to tack away and avoid the question of leeway altogether.

I think it was more of a shock for the crew who'd never experienced anything like that before. The boat handled it incredibly well though. The gusty squally conditions caused quite a few problems for other folk in the area that afternoon.

We'd intended anchoring in Shuna Sound that evening but some uneasiness about the forecast and the call of hot showers made Craobh Haven a much more desirable option.

We made the right decision. The gusty conditions continued for some time. Tides for our return sail to Dunstaffnage through Cuan Sound were around lunchtime the next day. It gave us chance for a little walk around. The views in the distance are of the Gulf of Corryvrevckan and The Great Race.