The weather here has plunged straight into Arctic style winter, and we've signed up to do our yachtmaster theory course. It seemed like a good idea to get back to school and brush up on what we learned way back almost 12 months ago.
What I learned that first weekend back was that I had forgotten almost everything. We're back to plotting course over ground, tidal vectors, leeway, deviation, variation etc.etc.
John, our tutor reckons that doing this course is only a small step up from where we were on the day skipper course, but my poor brain has aged and slowed down to the point where nothing is sticking any more. My neurons are failing to make connections, like they've become teflon coated, and I beat myself up at my inability to grasp the questions never mind the answers.
If I thought I knew something about navigation I now realise that I've got a hell of a lot of work to do just to catch up with where I was.
Anyway it's a eight day course spread over 4 weekends and hopefully once I get back into the zone it will all fall into place. In the meantime we just have to grit our teeth and rool with it. At least we're gaining more knowledge and keeping the dream on track, and by the end of this course we'll understand more than we did last year, even if I fail to pass the exams.
By the time we're finished it will be almost Christmas which means it will soon be January, and on the third we're off to Dom Rep, the sunshine and sailing with Ray.
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