Shorebased Instructor!

Well, we took a risk and printed the new brochure advertising our new Shorebased Courses, before I had actually taken the Shorebased Instructor Course!  Fortunately it is all alright – I was away last week on an RNLI Sea Survival Course (but that’s another story) and following that course I attended an RYA Shorebased Instructor Course in Southampton.  Good news all round – I passed the course so am now an RYA Shorebased Instructor, which means that we will be running theory courses for basic navigation through to Dayskipper and Yachtmaster Theory and most important of all our brochure is correct!! (A big sigh of relief for Dave and I!)

2007 Brochure hot off the press!

We’ve just got this season’s brochures from Quine & Cubbon and they look really nice!  Thanks to Dave Kneale for his hard work designing and putting it together and also for letting us use his photies in it!  If you want a copy of it give us a call or send us an email with your address on it and we’ll mail one to you.

The shop will be open again later this month and our first course begins on 2nd April.  We have a busy calendar for courses including RYA Level 2 Powerboat courses and Dinghy Sailing courses on most weekends.  A new fleet of kayaks is on order and will be with us for hire from 31st March and we still have some places left on Youth Sailing Weeks at Easter.  Contact us for more details…..
Looking forward to the season!

FOR SALE

Prindle 18:2 Catamaran  £2000

Good condition, 2 main sails, 2 jibs, asymetric spinnaker & rig, twin trapeze.  All ready for some exciting sailing, lying in Port St Mary.

Laser 1 Standard Rig  £2200

Laser 172393, 3 full rig sails – one only used twice, fully race rigged, under & over covers, carbon tiller extension, Rooster toe strap.

New Laser Radial Sail  £300

For more details on all boats listed here please contact James on 07624 485717.

My latest (and almost secret) adventure!

Well there we all were on Wednesday evening Jon & Jenni had had taken me to see my little friend Tash round at Rebecca’s house, when they went out and left us!!!

Me, Tash & Cobweb the cat hadn’t been left on our own here before and it was lovely there, the fire was roaring and we were all cosy and warm.  Then the front door opened – all on it’s own!!  And we sat and looked at the night outside…….. and I started to wonder where Jon & Jenni had gone, they don’t often leave me at least not for long anyway, maybe they had forgotten me?

Tash could see what I was thinking……”don’t go out there” she said “we’ll be in trouble”.  “But they’ve left me” I explained “they don’t normally leave me and they’ve been gone a long time!”  “We can’t go out there” said Tash again.  Cobweb didn’t seem to mind if I went, funny things cats, I just can’t work them out.  “No, Jon & Jenni have left me too long now, I’m going to make sure they’re alright, I should be with them”.  Well Tash refused to move “I’m too small and it’s too cold and I’m not allowed out there without a person, I’m staying here by the fire”.  “Women! Such wimps” I thought to myself as I slipped out the door.

And it was great! Just me and the dark night, the wind was blowing all about my fur as I began my search for Jon & Jenni.  I kept “off the road” as I’d been told sooooo many times when I’ve been out with Jon & Jen, I looked out for cars whenever I came to road I had to cross and I looked and looked everywhere for signs of my friends.  I made my way to the flat, maybe they’d gone home without me?  Maybe Smeg would be home and he would let me in?  But the flat was dark, I scratched on the door but no-one came.  Where could they be on this cold night?

I started along the route me & Jen walk when we go to the shop.  I love this walk, I get to tease the sheep all stuck in their fields, following each other round with no real idea of why they are here! Silly sheep.  I remember the days I used to chase em round (when I was allowed to).  I trotted along the back road, teasing the sheep & not teasing the big scarey cows!  I got to Port Erin and headed down the hill toward the shop, “they MUST be here” I thought to myself.  I rounded the corner and cut across the path to Martin’s house and there was the shop.  “Oh NO!” There were no lights on, the doors were shut, no car, no sign of them, nothing…… “Oh dear, what has happened? Where could they be? Now I’m all alone, cold, lonely and quite possibly lost?”  I didn’t know what to do.  I wasn’t sure if I could get back to Tash’s from here, I wasn’t sure of anything and I didn’t know where else to look for Jon & Jenni.  So I sat & I waited and waited and waited.  “Silly me, maybe I should have listened to the little dog, should have stayed by the fire with my little friend, now here I am, cold, lonely and a bit frightened. What if they don’t come here until tomorrow, what if I am out here all night??????”

Not knowing what else to do I waited.  I had been waiting ages and I was very cold, even with my warm winter coat on.  Then I heard it! Yep I heard it, the thump thump thump of the diesel engine…..the headlights, the Frontera, Jon, Jenni – Whoopeee they came for me!  I was so happy, I put my tail right up in the air & gave a big smile…….

Until I got shouted at…….. I didn’t know, I didn’t understand that they would be worried & I would be in trouble – although the little dog has said so.  “Women! Why are they always right!?”  Still, they weren’t cross with me for long, they were relieved to see me, just as I was pleased to see them…….

And so we set off, back to the nice warm fire at Tash’s house, lots of fuss and eventually a nice warm bed!  I don’t think I’ll be running out and about on my own again, especially not in the winter.  I must learn to stay by the fire…………

Jon & Jen, I’m really sorry for worrying and upsetting you – I’ll try not to do it again.  Please forgive me, I only wanted to be with you.  Woof!

Topper Challenge Report & Results

The 2006 Topper Challenge was on Sunday 5th November at Mooragh Park. The event was conceived by Nigel Hendy of the Manx Sailing and Cruising Club back in 1994 and was originally contested between the MS&CC and the Isle Of Man Yacht Club. King Williams College were invited to enter a team a few years ago and they have dominated the event ever since. This year the newly established 7th Wave Water Activities Centre based in Port Erin were also invited to enter a team.

A total of fifteen sailors all aged 16 and under attended the event with two teams being entered by King Williams College, the IOMYC, MS&CC and 7th Wave each entered one team. The Topper Challenge is a team racing event with the aim in each race being to get as may of your own boats over the finish line ahead of boats from the other team. Team racing is tactically challenging and great for spectators, the races are just a few minutes in length, with teams switching over between races. Over a total of ten races all the teams got the chance to race every other team and the overall winner being the team who scored the least points over the series.

Sunday’s racing was very close and highly competitive. Mooragh Park provided fluky wind and testing conditions for the young competitors. King Williams College 1 fielded the most consistent and possibly worst results of the day being beaten in all their races, including a defeat by their second team! Chris Hill somehow managed to sail for both teams on the day sailing his good races for the 2nd team and his bad races for the 1st team! 7th Wave who had the youngest competitor on the water James Kelly aged 9 won two and lost two. The Manx Sailing & Cruising Club also won two and lost two, as did the Isle of Man Yacht Club although the IOMYC team captain Joe Stockman scored first place in all their races. The overall winners were King Williams College 2 who sailed consistently well winning all of their races. There were a couple of photo finishes on the day, luckily Dave Kneale was armed with camera so there could be no disputes as to the finishing order.

Thanks to all that were involved in making the day a success; the Race Committee, David & Wendy Hill and Mike Bowles for their efforts in getting teams together and getting the boats up to the Mooragh Park and to the Manx Sailing & Cruising Club for their hospitality and much needed hot food after a cold afternoon at the pond!

Results:

  1. KWC 2 (Chris Hill, Kate Stockman & Guy Wood) 35 points
  2. IOMYC (Joe Stockman, Harry Davies & Craig Hodge) 41 points
  3. MS&CC (Thomas Cole, Patrick Evans & Charlie Edwards) 42 points
  4. 7th Wave (Alison Hinds, Alex Sharpe & James Kelly) 44 points
  5. KWC 1 (Chris Hill, Breeshey Harkin & Luke Collins) 48 points

Photos will be available on Manx Sail Racer soon. www.manxsailracer.com

Cocahiba & Ingie Live at the Bay 27th October

I haven’t seen much of JQ during the evenings of the past couple of weeks, him, Martin, T’other Martin and the rest of the Ingie band have been busy practising for this gig.

This is Ingie’s second gig, the first gig was at Chasfest back in July and marked the launch of the Ingie debut album “nought point one”.  It was a fantastic gig and a great start for the album.  The second gig by rights should be even better and believe me there’s been plenty of practice going on! (At least that what Jon assures me, not sure how much ‘rehearsal time’ has actually been spent playing computer games though?)

Look forward to seeing you all at The Bay, Port Erin on Friday 27th October.

More details available at www.ballagroove.com and www.myspace.com/ingiethethingie

Today I’m in trouble……

I couldn’t help it, I went for a little wander while no-one was looking, but they saw me coming back. So that was it, a smack round legs for me and a big telling off.  If only they hadn’t seen me sneaking back……

It’s not my fault really, but I’m getting a little bored.  The summer was great, there was loads of activity, loads of people and I got to spend all my days blasting about in rescue boats, or lazing in the sun on the sail boats.  I must say I’m happy that I don’t have to go kayaking any more, that was a bit too wobbly for me!  But now there’s nothing really going on for me.  I get to sit at the shop door and watch the world go by, including all the pretty girl dogs going in and out of the vets across the road.  It’s just not fair, I only wanted a bit of doggy company and some excitement……..

I guess next summer is a long way off.  Maybe I should look for a girlfriend to keep me company over the winter?

Living with Jon, Smeg & Jen is great but I doooooo miss my friends from the farm. Even if they did pick on me and even though I wasn’t allowed to play with them often, they said they had to work & I was no good at working.  Work? What’s that all about? All I wanted to do was play.  But now I just sit…… sit and watch the world go by.

Roll on summer, I need some entertainment…….. people or doggy visitors always welcome at any time………

howies autumn stock now in!

After several weeks of waiting the howies autumn range is finally here!

We’ve got a great selection of mens & womens jumpers, trousers and T-shirts.  Also the howies New Zealand Merino wool thermal base and mid-layers essential gear for any outdoor sports and activities over the winter.

Along with the howies range we’ve also got a stock of bodyboards & surf wax in preparation for the winter waves and of course we’ve got 5mm wetsuits to keep you warm while you’re out there.

Coming soon: 7th Wave gift vouchers available for clothing, courses and hire sessions – an ideal Christmas gift.

Scaffolding……

Just to let you all know the shop will be closed from tomorrow (Monday 16th October) for one week.  We’ve got scaffolding and work going on outside at the mo so avoid any risk of stuff landing on our heads – and to keep the dust out we are going to close for the week.

We will be open as usual from Saturday 21st October and the howies winter range will be available from Saturday.

Winter opening hours: Tuesday to Friday 12pm to 6pm & Saturdays 11am until 6pm.