DAY 1:
We had an early start travelling from Edinburgh to Oban. Once we got to the boats, we got kitted up and learnt about the boat and sailing fundamentals. After we set off, we went through some rough sailing. We practiced knot tying and attempted our first mooring at Lochaline. We finished the day with spaghetti bolognese. It was a challenging but insightful first day at sea.
DAY 2:
We spent the morning mastering our mooring technique and learning how to fill out the logbook. We sailed down the sound of Jura and all had a go at helming the boat. We then went through man overboard drills as well as the uses of different flares in an emergency. After some mooring buoy practice, we went for a swim and headed to Croabhaven marina for the night.
DAY 3:
With a sunny start to the day, we had a long 8-hour sail to Port Ellen. Strong wind and tide enabled speedy sailing. We successfully changed the headsail in tricky conditions for the first time. We finished off the day with some fish and chips.
DAY 4:
Had a relaxed morning with a sunny walk to laphroig distillery. The group had smooth sailing on the way to Craig House on the Isle of Jura. On arrival we had a smooth first attempt at mooring on a pier. We then spent the evening going over sailing etiquette and rules, followed by a swim.
DAY 5:
Had an early start as we had another long day sailing of 10 hours. We saw a seal and the Glasgow boat spotted some dolphins. It was the roughest day sailing so far, with very tall waves.
DAY 6:
We spent the morning sailing to Tobermory. We then spent the afternoon exploring and visited the lighthouse. We set up and all tried out the dinghy. Over dinner, we went through anything that we were still unsure of and wanted to practice more.
DAY 7:
As it was our last day sailing, we practiced buoy mooring and manoeuvring the boat in the morning. We then sailed back to Oban. Once we arrived, we spent the evening packing and cleaning up the boat.
“Gaining my RYA competent crew certificate has given me the confidence and ability to progress towards day skipper. The competent crew course has given me a great foundation and an appetite for sailing which I am keen to explore in the future!”
- Challenges – The new skills we had to take on and memorise quickly to take swift and effective action in high intensity situations.
- This built confidence for adventuring and leading during different and changing situations.
- Learned the value of teamwork on the boat e.g., to put up main sail and front sail, all four of us had to do our part.
- Learnt how to confidently participate in the effective sailing of a medium sized yacht.
