General

After almost three weeks with no shark sightings on this side if the Island there were two off the Sker on Monday last week.

We spotted them from the shore at lunch time and quickly gave Breesh the binoculars. Having lived here all her life and spent the last three summers working at 7th Wave she had never, until now, seen a basking shark! Woohoo!! She was happy!

Later in the afternoon the wind had picked up too much and sailing was called off in favour of a bodyboarding session. I took this opportunity to give Breesh a closer look at the sharks, leaving Jam bodyboarding with the kids, Breesh and I set off in the Pig to the Sker.

Two sharks spotted which we watched for a few minutes before heading back to the beach with a very happy Breeshey 🙂

On Wednesday the twenty seventh of May, I was sailing at Port Erin and a basking shark came right in to the bay. I think it was young. It was very playful it chased me nearly the whole width of the bay. I could see its dorsal fin rising whilst it chased me.

I was sailing along the bay and the shark was nowhere to be seen and then its fin popped up a hundred feet away from me.

This day was one of the best days of my life!

I have been assured by Ffinlo that this summer is going to be a good summer. Ffinlo started sailing with us in 2006 at the age of five. Now aged 9 he has his Stage 3 and is part of the Manx Youth Sailing Squad.

Now, according to Ffinlo this summer will be good because, during his nine years of weather watching, 2003 was a good summer, 2006 was a good summer, therefore the patteren is the three times-table and 2009 will be a good summer…..

We had two brilliant Youth Sailing Weeks over Easter, seven students the first week and nine the second, instructors Breeshey, Baggie and Jen, Jon in the shop and on RIB launching duties and Jack happy to be at sea again. Georgie Drinkwater acheived her RYA Stage 4 during the first week and her and Baggie were the first people to fly a spinnaker at 7th Wave! Baggie also managed to capsize the 420 while he was at the helm, much to our amusement. Five new students really got the hang of it quickly and achieved Stage 1. It was Massimo’s birthday on the Tuesday and it was my birthday on the Wednesday. Julie and Ruth made me a fantastic PSM Lifeboat shaped cake, which was shown off and shared with everyone. It was a windy birthday though so the group braved the cold sea and went bodyboarding.

During the second week our group of Stage 2 & 3 sailors had a lot of fun on the water, whilst refreshing the RYA syllabus and really refining their skills. It is great to see how this particular group have progressed from being beginners to very competent and able young sailors. Hannah Howitt and Izzy Sharpe spent the week sailing the 420 and completing their RYA Stage 4. They looked very impressive in the boat and last year’s Manx Youth Sailing Squad training has really raised their sailing standard. They had great fun at the same time and were smiling and laughing the whole week. Matt Petts and Tara Murphy achieved RYA Stage 2 during the course. And another rudder lost in the ‘Rudder Triangle’ of Port Erin Bay.

Photos have now been uploaded to the website gallery – after three weeks of looking for the wire which connects camera to computer. I did try using a card reader we had – but that is another story….

Good luck to all the young sailors taking part in the Manx Youth Sailing Squad selection trials tomorrow. Do you best, have fun and enjoy yourselves….

The briefing is a 10.15am and first race 11am.

Over the past couple of weeks the oyster catchers have been beeping away in their own morse code outside the window in the evenings. The two ducks who stayed in the bay and frequented Roberto’s last summer were back on his doorstep the other day and the first gannet I saw diving in the bay happened to be on my birthday!

Last Sunday I was looking out to sea because Jon was on a lifeboat shout (a sign of spring in it’s own way), I saw an unusual splash and then another one in almost the same place. I picked up the binoculars and there was a splash again, being made by what appeared to be the top of a whale just breaking the surface.

On Friday there was a baby curlew picking about in the shallows for most of the day and yesterday we caught a glimpse of the first terns to come back to Port Erin.

Happy times, summer is on it’s way…..

We have a handful of places for beginner and experienced sailors on next week’s Youth Sailing Week and if the weather stays like this it will be a brilliant week!

The Youth Sailing Week runs from 10am until 5pm on Monday 6th April to Friday 10th April!. We provide all the boats, wetsuits, buoyancy aids and kit for on the water, plus RYA logbooks and certificates for all students. The course fee is £259 per person, for an action packed week of sailing, kayaking, games and plenty of fun. The boats are scrubbed, rigged and ready to go, the commissioners have put all the flags back it in Port Erin, the sun is shining and it feels like summer!

This years hire kayaks have arrived and are now taking up loads of room in the shop. All our water based activities including kayak hire will start on 4th April. Also on 4th April we have a RYA Powerboat Level 2 course which is fully booked, so fingers crossed for good weather.

Starting on 6th April are our Youth Sailing Weeks, there are still a handful of places for beginners and experienced sailors for the week of 6th to 10th April. The following week’s course is fully booked.

Kayaks are available to hire from 10am until 5pm daily from 4th April. We have 4 single kayaks and 1 double kayak. Single kayaks are £10 per hour to hire and the double is £15 per hour. Buoyancy aids are provided and must be worn, hirers must be aged 12 and above, kayaks can not be taken out of Port Erin Bay.

We look forward to seeing you in a few weeks.

It is that time of year again, boats are being re-discovered after the winter and the sailing season is almost with us (fingers crossed for better weather than last year!) In preparation for the new season our shorebased courses will begin in March and everything will be on the water for courses from April.

Our Youth Sailing Weeks are filling up more quickly than ever before, if you would like to reserve places for these weeks please contact me as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

We have the following courses scheduled for the Spring:

7th & 8th March – RYA Basic Navigation and Safety

14th March – VHF Short Range Certificate

21st & 22nd March – RYA Basic Navigation and Safety (Youth course only for those aged 13 – 18)

4th & 5th April – RYA Powerboat Level 2

6th – 10th April – Youth Sailing Week for Beginners

11th April – VHF Short Range Certificate

13th – 17th April – Youth Sailing Week (Full)

18th & 19th April – Youth Race Training Weekend

25th & 26th April – RYA Safety Boat

Places for each course are limited so please book early. If you would like further information about our courses please contact me. Our 2009 brochure will be off the press and on your doorsteps soon with course details for the full year ahead.