MORE POWER!!

Just finished having an awesome weekend completing our RYA Powerboat Lvl. 2 course and what a blast it was!

Overcast start to the day at Port Edgar

With 30min segments of classroom work spread over the 2 days, it left more than ample time for practical hands on time with the RIBs, covering launch and recovery, safety checks, boat handling, towing, man overboard, anchorage, knots, collision avoidance, charts and loads more. Very interseting stuff.

Jill screwing the RIB at 20+ knots under the Forth Rail Bridge

With 3 to a RIB plus an instructor, it wasn't too overcrowed but we did have an older student that had the touch of an elephant on the throttle and just wanted to go fast everywhere. Forward, backward, you name it, full power all the time. Disconcerting when he's driving you straight at the pontoon at 8 knots. In reverse. I definately heard the instructors buttocks squeak at that point!

Inchcolm Abbey. Well worth a visit for the scenery

With most of the basics out of the way on day one, day two involved putting most of it together and planning a drive. So we pulled out the charts and worked out a nice route from Port Edgar across to Dalgety Bay, a stop on Inchcolm Island for a look and refresh our knot practice, over to Granton and then back to Port Edgar. 

And we had an added bonus in that the Queen Mary 2 cruise liner moored up during the day, so we took a slow drive past for some pictures and a look. The thing is massive. Especially when you're in somthing thats only just less than 6 metres. I wouldn't want to get caught in the wake of that thing!

I think the QM2 has the right of way.....

The weekend has certainly been a good learning experience and we've enjoyed it so much we've already signed up for our RYA Intermediate course with the Advanced happening in December. 

As a diver I can definately see the benefits of the course and it gives you a real insight into the mind of the boat skippers and everything they need to take into account. It certainly makes you appreciate them all the more when they are able to drop you in the water and pick you up in some seriously crappy conditions. Hats off to them I say.

Leaving the QM2 eating our wake

Don't think I can justify £15k on a new RIB though. Maybe Santa will be nice this year......