BSAC - Boat handling course – weekend of 13/ 14 April 2013

 

A 7.30am start saw nine members of LSSAU head off to Levington Marina, located just south of Ipswich on the estuary of the river Orwell and upstream of the port of Felixstowe, the towering cranes on the quayside being clearly visible a couple of miles away.

 

The purpose of the day was twofold, for our boat handling instructor to mentor two budding boat handler instructors and for them in turn to take two candidates each through the practical aspects of the boat handling course, the theory aspects being covered the following day.

 Being the first outing of the season, Vixen and Fox had been checked over for seaworthiness, working order and the necessary safety equipment.  Boat checks completed and participants suitably introduced and made familiar with the boats all were suited, booted with lifejacket on.  We launched at 11.00am.  The slip is steep with an unusual steel hawser arrangement so that at low tide tow vehicles are operated safely on the flat ground above. Tidal range was 3.4m.

After initial familiarisation and having negotiated the narrow channel through the mud flats into deeper water, we brought the boats onto the plane and undertook some higher speed manoeuvres, to be followed by debris avoidance and man over board. Slower procedures involving forward and reverse rounding of a buoy then followed, made all the more challenging by swiftly moving waters before moving to approaching shallow waters. Slow speed handling within the marina provided experience of how to adjust to the wind which otherwise can play havoc with the best of intentions.  A trip down to the ports of Felixstowe and Harwich gave opportunities for boat handling under different conditions as well as the opportunity to look at the various types of buoyage in use.

 

Despite the boat checks before leaving home, we experienced an intermittent failure with the main engine for Fox. A safe, slow, return to the marina was achieved with the donkey engine, which started at first pull. The fault was soon found and Fox was soon returned to active service.

Handling formalities ceased at 6.00pm with the recovery of the boats followed by a wash down inreadiness for tying down and making the return journey home.  We were back at Fox Box by at 9.30pm.

 

The weather had been kind to us with sun and quite a stiff breeze until 2.00pm to be followed, as per forecast, by overcast and rain.

 

The cost for the day was £23 per head, inclusive of travel to and from and boat fuel.

 

For those doing the full Skill Development programme, the course materials were £43 each, including the course notes and the BSAC Seamanship Manual.

After a successful conclusion to the theory session the following day, LSSAU now has two additional boat handling instructors and four new boat handlers.

 

All in all, a very successful weekend and thanks go to all involved.

 

Attendees – Marg (instructor), Kyle (boat mechanic), Jim and Geoff (trainee instructors), Sam, Jack, Pete and Shirley (trainees), Sarah (observer).

 

Further Skills Development Courses in chartwork and position fixing are also available should anyone express an interest.