I have, like many of you downloaded a bazillion compass apps over the years. I have the pleasure to introduce you to one I have downloaded, used a great deal on land and at sea and kept.
The Compass Eye
This is a compass that has some great features. It has the ability to use the camera on your phone. When the phone is held up as though taking a photo, you get a compass overlay on the view screen with the option to take a 3 point fix,
Greetings fellow Mariners
It has been almost a year since I started question of the week and the monthly quiz. I am planning ahead and looking for feedback and thoughts on what you would like to see covered, either in questions of the week, or the monthly quiz.
Please email me you thoughts.
Greetings fellow or aspiring mariners. I was reading an article about today about the TrinityHouse/RYA Yachtmaster Scholarship and thought it worth a share.
For those of you interested in a career in the maritime world have a look at this article , should you decide to apply, I wish you good fortune.
After a conversation with a friend about being aware of your surroundings, especially at night, and recounting some very close calls, I decided to share some thoughts on judging distance.
We know that a vessel with a constant relative bearing and a closing distance is going to end up on our fo'c'sle, which is never a good thing.
Today marks the beginning of Astronomical Winter and the shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere (if you happen to live in the Southern Hemisphere, welcome to your longest day!). Daylight hours where I am in the UK today is 7 hrs 49 mins.
On the plus side, from tomorrow - summer is on its way.
Have a great day
Greetings fellow mariners, I have had occasion recently to talk with students about the pros and cons of owning a boat. I have had a few in the past that were desperate to be in the boating world but didn't want or have the desire to own a boat outright.
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In the December quiz, there is a question about the Northwest Passage. I found this YouTube video clip of a trip through the passage from Greenland to Alaska that I thought you might enjoy. |
Ahoy Stuart
Have you ever dreamt of feeling the wind in your hair, the sun on your face, and the waves beneath you as you carve through the open waters on a powerful, sleek powerboat?
Well, you're in for a treat that will make those dreams come true!
Welcome to Meteorological winter - for those of you unsure what it is, our year is divided into 4 meteorological periods each of 3 months duration. These seasons are split to coincide with our Gregorian calendar, making it easier for meteorological observing and forecasting to compare seasonal and monthly statistics. Winter starts Dec 01 and finishes at the end of February.
I had this awesome picture come through on a recent email from powerboat club.uk, thought I should share it not just because it's a great picture but as a reminder that despite the recent weather, there are some great places to visit out there.
Greetings fellow mariners.
At 0650 today we said goodbye to celestial summer and hello to celestial autumn. What does that mean? The September equinox is the moment the sun appears to cross the celestial equator (the celestial equator is a projection of the terrestrial equator into outer space).
Greetings fellow mariners. I was at the Southmpton Boatshow a few days ago - if you have not been, consider adding it to your to do list for next year, well worth the visit.
I came across this article and thought it worth a share.
In 1831, a 22 year old impressionable Charles Darwin boarded HMS BEAGLE to set sail on perhaps the most important event of his life. Many of us know the story that is now very firmly in our history books "On the Origin of Species".
I came across this and thought it worth a share.
This happened on the evening of December 30, 1899, as a vessel was once more making the crossing from Vancouver to Sydney. By chance, the ship was just a few nautical miles from the intersection of the equator and the date line.
On this particular occasion it was reported that this vessel achieved the following claims to fame......
Follow this link for the story A special claim to fame I will leave it to you to decide if it really happened.
(thank you to Big Think for a great share)
This months quiz is a look mainly at IRPCS with a couple of others thrown in to keep you on your toes, enjoy.
June 01 is here at last, welcome to meteorological summer, the jet stream is well to the north of the UK giving us a relatively stable high pressure and as we know high pressure gives us some lovely weather. Don't get too excited,Glastonbury is not very far away and if history is anything to go by, it's usually a mud bath which means rain within the next 2 - 3 weeks. Enjoy the sun whilst it's here.
This months quiz is all about chart abbreviations and symbols. Hope you enjoy it.
I had the misfortune to be out in the Estuary recently to see a couple of RiBs and 2 PWC's in company. Whilst it was sunny when I saw them,
Happy Spring Equinox day. For those of you unsure what that means, it is when the sun moves over the celestial equator as it heads north giving us a day of equal equal night and day, the time it passes over will be 2124 (it is also the start of Astronomical Spring). For those of you interested in a bit more information about the difference between astronomical and meteorological seasons along with a Solstice have a look at this website for some really good descriptions. Almanac.com.
It is also the International Day of Happiness. It is said to represent a shift in global attitudes towards wellbeing and the recognition of happiness as a human right.
Have a great day.
One of the questions I am often asked is about flags and are they still used in today's modern society.
Spring is here - although my garden flowers and rhubarb are suggesting it has been here for a little while!
However, with the SSW (Sudden Stratospheric Warming) a couple of weeks ago and its looming effects, I know it won't quite feel like spring in a couple of weeks, I hope you are ready for some chilly weather. The Balearic Islands are still reeling from the impressive rare dumping of snow courtesy of storm Juliette yesterday (their last notable snow was seven days of snow in 1956 and two days in 2012).
I mentioned in an earlier blog about the monster tide this month. We took ourselves for a potter just after sunrise and made a short video. Hope you enjoy it.
There are occasions when we need to be able to work out how much water we will have below us at a specific time - perhaps when there is a need to cross a bar or go over an area that has several drying heights or possibly for your mast or superstructure to clear a bridge or power cables. This quiz will help you master the calculations.
February has arrived with a bang. Two highlights of the month for me are:
1. The second highest tide of the year at Avonmouth on the 22nd with a predicted range of 14.3m, I will try to be there for some photos. (the next monster spring tide will overnight on 30th September with a predicted 14.5m).
Happy New year to you all. Our quiz this month is all about lights and buoys, enjoy!
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Our December quiz is a mixed bag of questions, some aimed at Day Skipper level. Enjoy |
As the year draws to a close and your pride and joy comes out of the water for a winter maintenance period. Although I am not so sure that working on your boat in the yard when it's uncomfortable, cold, wet and the days are short is a better option
I expect you all know what these sound signals mean (Well, I hope you do!)
Well into the month and it's all go despite the weather. I recently read a useful article the RYA put out about not being afraid of the dark, I'd encourage you to
My goodness the weather has announced October already, where has the summer gone? it has been a busy time for the team. Thanks to the great weather, our main site at Cromhall, in addition to the usual plethora of courses, has been inundated with swimmers and divers as well as hosting some great swimming and triathlon events.
Here is a tides quiz aimed at day skipper level, enjoy.
Things to consider in early August there is a heatwave forecast until mid month. Be mindful of your time on the water, consider adding more water and sunscreen to the stores list on your passage plan.
As we approach the end of June and look forward to the summer holidays, our courses have rapidly filled up. We have put on extra courses to accommodate the inquiries we have had.
We now have 4 vessels at the Marina,
This quiz is for those of you perhaps considering refreshing your PB L2 theory or maybe as a taster for those of you considering a PB L2 course.
Enjoy
Another L2 course as we move towards the end of May. Our students had a whole pile of questions to start the day off, ranging from how do I come alongside without embarrassing myself to why are there 2 propellors on my engine and many more. I could see it was going to be a good course.
"Happy as a sand boy". On a riverbank in Bristol, on the site of the original harbour opposite the Thekla, not far from where the replica Mathew was built is a pub called The Ostrich. The Inn stands next to the Redcliffe Caves,
Thanks to the stunning weather, another great weekend for a PowerBoat course.
Interesting videos - these may lead you to explore other videos, be prepared to fall down the YouTube rabbit hole !
Websites for Mariners - These are a few examples of websites you may find useful in enhancing your knowledge base. There are many more out there, consider this a start.
Apps you may wish to consider - there are many, many more, these are a few examples that may encourage you to explore what’s out there.
This quiz is to help you fathom the delicate balance of you verses the sea when it all goes horribly wrong. Enjoy.
A Level 2 student getting to grips with the challenges of steming a buoy in a 6 knot current
