Instructing for Cornish Cruising

I have just had a week on the water instructing for Cornish Cruising.

I had three chaps training with me who are all working towards their Yachtmaster qualification. Andy has been working as a Dive boat skipper in the Caribbean. He and his partner are planning to work commercially as Skipper and Hostess on big charter catamarans in the Caribbean. Jim is Andy's partners Dad and he and his wife plan to 'semi-retire' in a few years to do similar work. Andy and

Jim will be doing the Yachtmaster in about

5 weeks after more training and 'mileage building' sailing to Ireland and France. Richard is a keen surfer who has worked as a deckhand on the

R Tucker Thompson, sail training ship, in the Bay of Islands New Zealand. He is doing Cornish Cruisings Yachtmaster Development programme through to the Autumn when he takes

his exams.

My brief was to give them

'Familiarisation' covering the Competent Crew and Day Skipper Syllabus. We did lots of 'bumps and curcuits' visiting the Fal, Heford River,

St Mawes, Fowey, Mevagissey and Goran Haven.

We had mixed weather, which was good for training purposes but rather wet a couple of times. However we had some lovely weather for a whole afternoon practicing sailing onto a buoy in full view of budding armchair sailors in St Mawes.

Also a great sail back from Fowey ducking into Mevagissey and Goran Haven for sailing to anchorage skills.

We ended the course with a bowl of Helford Native Oysters prior to Night Pilotage in the Fal.

I am now ready for the next Serendipity Charter - sign up now!

Birthdays and Removals

On Saturday 25th April we celebrated Esther's birthday, and Zoe's 2 days early, by helping Esther and Andrew move into their new home, a flat in Penryn.

Several of Esther and Andrew's friends turned up to help along with Zoe and Matt. Matt had just bought a van which he is going to restore and kit out as a camper van.

Meanwhile in it's present state it makes a good removals van!

Aussie Visitors

It has been lovely to welcome David (Lois' brother), Rose, Edward and Ben to St Mawes for a few days.

They are over in the UK for Rose's parents anniversary bash in Shropshire. D&R and the boys are off to Australia again to joion the ranks of that nations homeless!

They are picking up their car in Perth and then driving overland to Sydney to settle on the East Coast.

Blessing a Pilot Cutter

Last week I was invited to bless a Pilot Cutter!

'Amelie Rose' is a wooden Scillies Pilot Cutter built by Luke Powell of 'Working Sail' at Gweek for Nick and Melisa, a young couple who are going to sail her as a 'skipper/charter' business based on the South Coast in Poole. You can see their plans and story at Topsail Adventures. 'Amelie Rose' is 44 feet long on deck and then she has a massive bowspirt sticking out the front! She has been constructed with sawn oak frames, oak topside planking, larch below, bronze and copper fastenings throughout. A real work of art!

We have known Luke for a few years now since Esther did one of her photography projects following the building of another cutter 'Tallulah'. You can see what he is up to at www.workingsail.co.uk. His first Pilot Cutter was 'Eve of St Mawes' and her owners live just up the hill from us here in St Mawes. Last year I sailed on 'Agnes', yet another of Luke's boats. He lives aboard her at Penryn just down the road from Esther and Andrew's new flat.

I have had a fascination for Pilot Cutters since I shared our vision for 'Serendipity Sailing' with Luke and he said the Pilot Cutter is the ideal vessel. Dream on!

The launch ecermony was great fun at Gweek, right up the top of the Helford River, where you have to have a Spring Tide to get into enough water. Seeing 'Amelie Rose' lifted high above the other boats was scary. She is not a light boat. It was very moving to see the shed in which she has come to life now empty apart from the new little tender 'Mary Rose'.

As the Cutter was lowered to within an inch of the water Nick, Melisa, Luke and I climbed on board and a bottle of wine was shared with her (tradional pouring of the boat's share onto the stem). Then after a few words from Nick and Luke I said a few prayers including these...

Thanksgiving for Working Sail and Gweek Quay Boatyard

We give thanks for the inspirational and creative work of Luke and his team and all who have brought this vessel into being. We ask God’s blessings on their lives as they let go of this new little ship as she ventures forth onto her life’s ocean. We pray for future builds and clear guidance for the days ahead. We give thanks also for this busy place where boats come and go and come into being and are restored to life on the sea again. Bless all who work here. Amen

Blessing for AMELIE ROSE

Jesus, you were present at creation and are with us in this boatyard where boats are built and dreams become reality. Bless this boat - Amelie Rose - and all who sail in her. Give her skippers and crews presence of mind in danger and guide them as they keep her in good repair. Grant them the wisdom of knowing when to put to sea and when to stay in safe harbour, so that they may always have a safe passage. May everyone who sails in her be renewed in spirit through their encounter with the beauty of creation. Amen

A couple of says later she was off down the river out into Falmouth Bay and she is now tied up by the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth. She will be sailing around here for a couple of weeks before heading for Poole. We hope to see her back in St Mawes for the Pilot Cutter Review in June.

Easter 2009

We have had a wonderful Easter with some lovely well attended services. The weather has been fantastic!

On Maundy Thursday the day started for

Ken with the 'Chrism

Eucharist' service at Truro Cathedral. Bishop Tim gave an excellent

address to the gathered clergy followed by an opportunity for annointing for ministry. In the evening we had a very moving reflective service at St Mawes with a

focus on Jesus' washing the disciples' feet and the 'stripping of the Altar'.

We had two services on Good Friday. In the morning we processed with a large cross from St Mawes Church to the Pier where the cross was raised to the singing of a hymn and some prayers .

In the afternoon 'An Hour at the Cross' was observed at St Just-in-Roseland.

Esther and Andrew came over on the Saturday for an early Easter Dinner and they stayed the night before leaving on Easter morning after the Sunrise Service.

On Easter Sunday we got up early for the Sunrise Service at Pendower beach, which Doug Robbins led on a beautiful but very cold morning. Fried fish was provided for an Easter breakfast.

Services at 8am at St Just, 9.30am at St Mawes and 11am at St Just again followed. They were packed out with lots of children and most people taking communion.

Lois and I set off later in the day for Godalming for more house clearing!

Marriage Prep

On the 28th March we held a Marriage Preparation Day for the couples getting married at St Just - in - Rosealnd and St Mawes this year. Nine couples came and the day was run by Melva and Avril from "FLAME", the diocesan Marriage and Family support group. They used the "Stepping Stones material.

Over the preceding couple of weeks folk from the parish rallied around to 'revive' the Church Hall which had become very drab and tired. A new carpet, rejigged donated curtains and aome paint, flowers and lots of cleaning did the trick.

Weather with You

How has the weather been with you? Are you snowed in?

I normally use this blog to communicate family news but today I feel like a bit of blog blasting! I have been amazed at the griping and complaining going on about the country coming to a standstill. "When I was young everything didn't stop for a little bit of snow" - no but when you were young people could walk to work and school. Now with motorways and such an over dependance on the car we are held to ransome by our own mobile lifestyle.

One thing 'Serendipity Sailing' (see thread on this blog) seeks to share is that whilst some things in life, like the tides, can be depending upon and predictable, others, like the weather, human beings and now banks, are notoriously unpredictable.

I think we should be in awe of how small we are and learn to live day by day. It seems the odd 'national standstill' does us good, even if it does supposedly cost the nation millions, as we all discover community and realise talk of recession is relative.

Use the 'comments' link below to share your thoughts...

Anyway, enough of that here are some photos of the weather here in Cornwall. If you click on them they get a lot bigger.

'Weather with You' was first recorded by Crowded House in the early 1990's. They were the soundtrack to our time in New Zealand.

Click on the arrow to enjoy...