Captain Nancy Hancock signing in

I've been looking forward to posting this particular blog for quite some time now. Yesterday Steve, the Royal Yachting Association examiner came back to our boat and spent the day with us.
While Tony went out to get us some pastizzi (savoury Maltese heart attack pastries) we got the theory part of the exam out of the way, which I pretty much aced - which was a great relief to me, because then it was all down to the sailing skills and piloting - no electronics allowed. Tony was my crew and Steve told Tony that he was not to help me in any way to make any decisions, just to crew.
It turned into a blustery day with the wind between 20 - 25kn. Given the wind direction we basically sailed downwind for a couple of hours with me navigating using running fixes to find a spot that Steve marked on the chart. I found it and he was satisfied with my effort and asked me to head for another place. There was alot of jibing - all controlled I'm pleased to say. It was a bit rolly as the waves were quite high, but quite pleasant really - until we turned around to head back. With a double reefed main, mizzen and reefed genoa we were making very poor progress through the increasing wind and seas. So when Steve was satisfied that I knew how to sail the boat he suggested that if we were going to get back in time for the football game he wanted to watch at 9.00pm we should probably use the engine.
We still had to tack back and forth along the coast to plough through the waves, and we were noticeably the only "pleasure craft" out there. It felt like a long tiring day, but I was pretty buoyed up as I felt sure I was passing the exam.
We got a bit of a reprieve from the gusts - long enough to make a half decent docking and then 'the torture', as Steve put it, was over and he told me I had passed. What a happy woman I was at that point. Hugs all round and time for celebration. Don't know what I'm going to do with this certification yet - I just really wanted it.
Captain Nancy Hancock signing out. (Its alright I'll stop saying it soon.)

Comments

tamara said…
Yay! congratulations Captain Nancy!
You rock! xo
April 8, 2010 at 8:51 AM
Richard said…
Terrific! Congratulations to you! How exciting is that! It is nice to have your hard efforts pay off!
April 8, 2010 at 11:25 AM
Anonymous said…
Congratulations Nancy. After a lot of hard work you must feel very satisfied. Well done. You and Tony enjoy a summer of sailing ahead of you.

Terry & Sheila
May 1, 2010 at 6:02 PM
The Intrepid II Crew said…
Congratulations Nancy -- and very belated ones to Tony as well! We've just returned home from our first cruising season, leaving Intrepid in Mexico, and are just catching up on all the "news".
May 14, 2010 at 8:46 AM
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