Genoa Boat Show

From our shipyard in Malta, we sailed straight to the boat show in Genoa, and had just four days to transform the boat from her yard state to show ready.

The purpose of the show was for brokers to look round each yacht, so they could put forward suitable vessels to their clients looking for a yachting vacation. Yachting related businesses were also in attendance - some had stands on the dock, while others would just visit the boats to promote their services.

The show spanned over three docks. We was moored on the main dock, opposite was a smaller dock with a third, a 15 minute ferry ride away. In the morning it was the deck crews job to wipe the boat clean of any dew or dust, and get her looking her best. When the show started at 10:00am, we would stand at the top of the passerelle to greet brokers, and deal with inquiries from the yachting related businesses.

In the evenings, after the show, there was always something going on for crew. Different stands held events, and on the final Friday of the show, there was a crew party. My drinking ban would soon be over! On the Tuesday, I went to a wine tasting stall with the rest of my crew. I drank orange juice, but had the tiniest sip from each of their wines. This was enough to get me thinking the next day when I was on passerelle watch about Friday’s crew party, and whether or not I should have a drink. In the end I decided that I would have a drink, and get involved in my first crew party.

Wednesday was our biggest day of the show. We had organised a lunch for the brokers, and our chef, Jared, was planning an eight course lunch. This is his first season in yachting, and wanted to show what he could do. In his words  “Go big or go home”. The lunch was a big success and to celebrate we went out for dinner. As I hadn’t drunk for three months, I decided I would warm up for Friday’s party and have a little drink. Two glasses of wine was enough to make me feel lightheaded and start feeling the effects of alcohol.

Edward Scissor Hands (aka Emily), Jack Sparrow (Me),
The Queen of Hearts (aka Kim), Ace Ventura (aka Al),
John McClane (aka Rob), Zohan (aka Jared).

Friday’s crew party was a Hollywood themed fancy dress party. I went as Jack Sparrow, wearing Kim’s blouse, and Emily’s waste coat, complete with eye liner, black finger nails and a felt tip goatee. Of course I needed to wear a felt tip goatee because I had to be clean shaven for the show – it had nothing to do with the fact that at 28, I still can’t grow one! I remember the party as being great fun, but my memory doesn’t stretch far past a certain point. I blame this on Jager, and mixing my drinks. I’ve now experienced the full range of the pendulum, from being sober, to getting it right, and getting out of control, or should I say wrong?

Malta

I wasn’t a fan of Malta, and its not somewhere I would chose to return to. To be honest, it never recovered from my first impression - run down. The buildings are weathered and dirty, the roads in a terrible condition, the air is dusty and polluted and a lot of the people are over weight/obese and dress horribly. 

The purpose of my trip to Malta was 3 weeks in Palumbo Shipyard. Even though I wasn’t a fan, I was determined to make the most of my time and hope to find some hidden surprises. On the first weekend the captain and I went for a drive around the Island. I much preferred Malta the more rural you go. A natural atmosphere replaced the run down impression, with greenery in between scattered villages, and I saw glimpses of how Malta used to look back in the day.

St Julian’s is were all the nightlife is, and to be fair it’s a decent night out. It reminded me of a club 18 – 30 holiday destination, with streets full of bars and ticket touts standing outside. On the first couple of nights, we stumbled across a few bars that were full of ridiculously young looking kids - the place felt like a school disco. Fortunately we soon learnt where these bars were and avoided them. I found my drinking ban hard, and it crossed my mind to give in, but I thought quitting after 2 months was not good enough - I would never forgive myself if I gave in then something happened that I would have to live the rest of my life with the consequences.

Kim and I went on a harbor tour. This amused Rob. He thought it was a very touristy thing to do and didn’t understand why we wanted to go on a harbor tour when we work on a boat. I really enjoyed the tour, and Malta looks much nicer from the sea, than it does on land. Towards the end of the cruise, I mentioned to, Kim that may be I was being a bit harsh on Malta, but a soon as we got back on land, the run down impression came flooding back.

Gozo, is only a short ferry ride away, so Alistair, Emily, Kim and I went on a day trip.  As Gozo is a holiday destination, I was expecting a bit more, but again I was left disappointed. Dwejra Bay and a snickers cake saved the day for me. Dwejra Bay is to the west of the Island, and the last place we visited. The appeal for me was the rough weather. I enjoyed the waves crashing against the rugged coastline and loved watching nature’s power.  

The best day out was at Badger Go Karting. To make sure the karts were up to scratch, Alastair, Emily, Rob, and I tested it out then returned with Kim and the crew from Lady M (another boat in the shipyard).  We had 5 minutes of qualifying, followed by a 15 minutes race. The first few laps of the race were insane. Apart from the eventual winner, who ran away with it, and lead from start to finish, the rest of the pack jostled for position. We were all bumping, spinning, slipping and sliding – it was great fun.

I had a good time in Malta, but that was down to the people I was with and making the most of it. I’m glad my visit was for work and not a holiday, as I would have been left gutted. 

Termination of Contract and New Job Offer

I got the call Friday evening just after 7pm. A call like this is never at a good time, but the timing of this call for me was particularly bad.

Since Wednesday, I was back in the UK sitting a personal training course. The course thus far had been very intensive, with lots of information covered at fast pace, and 3 or 4 hours of homework each evening after an 8 hour day in the class room. By Friday the pace of the course was picking up, and my head was hurting from the constant barrage of information. The course was by far the hardest my brain has had to process information since recovering from my brain injury and I could feel the strain.

After Friday’s lesson, my head was suffering from information over load so bad, that I was actually looking forward to chilling out on the tube ride back to Jess’s apartment. I’d not long sat down to start tackling my homework, when my phone rang. I saw it was a +33 (French dialing code) number on my phone’s display and I thought to myself this isn’t good. It was my captain calling to tell me a decision had been made to cancel my contract. The reasoning behind this was because the management had decided that all deck crew are now required to hold a yachtmaster and more experience than I can offer. I was told that it was nothing to do with my work ethic or attitude and that it was a decision that it was out of the captain’s hands.

Even though I’d prepared myself for bad news after seeing the French number on my phone display, I was still taken a back and shocked by the news. Thoughts rushed trough my head, analyzing the news from different angles, and I experienced various emotions. Worst of all, I knew I was facing another 3 or 4 hours of home work, with another 2 days of the course still to run, so I tried to calm my mind and just focus on my homework and the remainder of the course.

I was hugely disappointed because I was really looking forward to the season, but could understand the decision – Clifford is a very nice boat and it is only right they have experienced, qualified crew looking after her. Over the winter they had also brought a new Van Dutch tender, which needed an experienced driver to operate it.

I was given the option of returning to France and working my notice period, or leaving the boat and using holiday to cover my notice period. Staying in the UK was never an option for me. I knew that after my notice was up, boats would soon be looking for crew and I wanted to be in France before the influx of job hunters arrived. I also had food and accommodation onboard, so it made sense financially to work my notice period.

When I got the job on Clifford, I thought my future in yachting was sorted, and I would never be facing unemployment again. I didn’t expect to be on Clifford forever, but I am sensible enough to have a job lined up before I handed in my notice. I was disappointed but thought to myself the decision was out of my control - I couldn’t sit my yachtmaster as I haven’t accumulated enough sea miles and I need time in the industry to gain experience. I told myself that I needed to stay positive, and work hard to find a new job. I’m now in a far better position, than when I first arrived in Antibes - I have more money, more contacts and more importantly more experience.

Fathom

I was back in self discipline mode - until I found a new job, work came before pleasure and I had to knuckle down and get things sorted.  I needed to tie up lose ends, visit all the agencies and start dock walking again. One major stumbling block was my personal training exam, which had to be completed and sent of within 30 days of finishing the curse. I arrived back in France on Monday, so the plan was to amend my CV, and visit all the agencies by Friday, then spend the weekend studying and completing the majority of the exam.

Fathom

My plan worked out perfectly. I arrived back in Antibes on 20^th February, had a trail on a boat on the 23^rd, which I decided the job wasn’t for me, and was day working from the 29^th right up until I was offered a job on a yacht called Fathom, on the 12^th March. Obviously I could have down without the stress of finding a new job, but I made good of a negative situation. The day work meant that I didn’t have to touch my savings, and the job offer meant I can still look forward to the up and coming season, and continue my career in yachting.      

Super Yachts - Dock Walking, Day Working and Job Offer

Apart from a broken toe, my time in Antibes couldn’t have gone any better. It took me three days of dock walking to find ongoing day work and within 2 weeks I was offered a month trail for a permanent position.

Dock walking never really bothered me but most people you talk to hate it. As the name suggests you walk around a dock asking each boat if they have permanent positions or need day workers? I went in with the mentality that 90% of boats wouldn’t have any work and expected to get rejected. I considered a lead, advice or ‘we might need a day worker in a few days’ a positive and left a bit more pumped.

To start with I didn’t have a clue and would approach every boat that looked a decent size. Towards the end, I had figured out the size of boat that I wanted to work on and only approached boats around that size. The best bit of advice I got was from someone staying in my crew house that said when you approach a boat you need to sell yourself as chances are they will scan your CV and only remember what you tell them. I trialed this advice and my approaches improved 100%. In day one, I approached each boat thinking I don’t want to take up much of their time, by day three I was having decent conversations with the crew even if there was no work going. I approached one boat where two guys were chatting at the end of the passerelle and asked to speak with the mate. As they saw me approaching one guy started walking up the passerelle onto the boat. I started my pitch to the deckhand that was still on the dock and when I mentioned my time on Lord Nelson the guy that had walked back onto the boat stopped to listen to what I was saying. By the end of my pitch he was standing back on the dock asking me questions. He was the first mate, who on the bigger boats is in charge of hiring all deck crew. As it turned out I never heard anything from that boat but the experience will always stick with me and prove to me that you have to sell yourself.

Suakin in Beaulieu Sur Mer shipyard.

My day working gig was secured on day three. I started early morning dock walking in Antibes, and decided to hit every super yacht in Port Vauban. I approached one boat and was having a decent chat with the deckhand even though I knew there was no chance of work. At the end of the conversation I shook his hand and approached another boat. I turned around and the deckhand was running towards me to saying that his captain was on the phone to another captain that may need a day worker. He told me the boat is in Beaulieu Sur Mer shipyard, which was about four stops from Monaco on the train, given the captain, Pete’s mobile number and told to give him a call. I instead of calling him I decided to catch the train to Beaulieu Sur Mer, find the shipyard and chat to the captain in person. Fortunately I found the shipyard easily and somehow managed to get in. Looking back it was a stroke of luck getting in as the gate is always locked and you need to know the pin code to get in. I met with the Pete who told me he may need some help next week and would give me a call to let me know when.

Dock walking in Beaulieu Sur Mer

I spent the rest of the afternoon dock walking in Beaulieu Sur Mer and Monaco. I didn’t have much luck in Beaulieu Sur Mer as the boats were smaller, and mainly French owned, so were staying in France for the winter and finishing up for the season. My dock walking in Monaco however was very fruitful. The dock was packed with lots of sexy looking super yachts all getting ready for the Monaco Boat show. All of my approaches went really well, and I had good conversations with the crew. I was really impressed with Monaco, the place gave the impression of wealth and looked exclusive. I turned into a geeky tourist and took pictures of the boats and F1 track. I even stopped to take a photograph of the start finish line, which is ridiculous when you think I now have a picture of a busy road, with a start finish line painted on. By the end of the day I felt knackered as I’d covered a serious amount of dock miles. I was waiting for the train at Monte Carlo when I got a phone call from Pete, saying that he’d changed his mind and he needed me tomorrow morning at 8. It’s hard to put the feeling into words but a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders and I was over the moon. As I’d arrived in Beaulieu Sur Mer I had a call from a captain in Antibes that needed a day worker that afternoon. I was pretty bummed to have to turn down the work but this news had more than made up for it.

I really enjoyed my first day on Suakin and loved the fact the work was active, outside and in the sun. I spent the day painting shackles on an anchor chain so they knew how much chain was still in the water when it was coming back in. Around 3pm Pete asked me if I could work tomorrow and before going home the first mate told me I would be needed next week too. I was very happy as a week’s work would pay for two weeks food and accommodation, meaning I can stay in Antibes, debt free while looking for a permanent position.

In the end I worked nine awesome days on Suakin and took part in numerous jobs, included painting the anchor chain, ballast and fresh water tanks, polishing, treating metal, hosing down, and helping to leave and enter berths. Working in the tanks was an experience that I’m not sure if I enjoyed or not. It’s bloody hot in there and there isn’t much room to move around but I enjoyed the challenge. All I can say is it’s a good job I’m flexible.

I had only worked there four days when an anchor fell on my foot, breaking my little toe. The anchor chain was nearly up but had a twist in it so I shouted up to get them to stop pulling the chain in. I walked round the front of the anchor to untwist the chain when it fell over landing on my foot. I’m not sure why it fell but the anchor had been standing all day so I think my message didn’t get through to stop the chain and the movement knocked it over. When you need to, you can move fast. My reflexes moved my foot from under the anchor before I felt pain but unfortunately my reflexes weren’t fast enough. At first I pulled the macho card, and told myself it had only grazed me and tried to walk it off. I carried on working and got the anchor fully up before looking at my foot. It had ballooned like it belonged to professor clump and was blue. Pete and his fiancée Sarah, took me to get it x-rayed. I was told that my little toe was broken but as long as I kept my weight off it, would be okay to work. Pete suggested we get a second opinion from a doctor. Throughout the whole appointment the doctor spoke to Sarah in French, whilst I sat on the bed. I didn’t understand a word but knew it wasn’t good news. He told Sarah my toe needed a pin, I needed crutches and should definitely not work. I was devastated and thought my dream was over. I couldn’t believe it as everything had been going so well and was now thinking I would have to spend winter in England thinking about what could have been.

Pete told me he would have a word with Ralph, the boats manager before we done anything rash. That evening he called to say Ralph would be round tomorrow morning at 9:30 to take me to the boats doctor for a third opinion. Ralph said the doctor we were seeing was his personal doctor that looks after all his family and was very good. The doctor took a look at the x-ray, told me to get rid of the crutches as they are dangerous, wrote a prescription for some tablets to reduce the swelling and bruising, strapped my toe up to the ankle and said I could go back to work tomorrow. I found the whole thing quite comical and was relieved that I could go back to work. My toe never caused me pain or affected my work, and by the end of the first day I could keep up with everyone’s walking pace.

My first trip on a super yacht was an hour’s motor from Beaulieu Sur Mer to Antibes, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Looking back at the coastline, the windy Riviera road and the red terracotta roof tops was an awesome sight. I’ve always enjoyed the sun reflecting off the water but the deep blue Mediterranean Sea and being on a super yacht made it even better. I regretted not bringing my camera but I told myself that I would have many more opportunities to take photographs of stunning coast lines and life at sea.

Suakin arrived in Antibes Friday afternoon and I was offered a month’s trial on the Monday. I was given the weekend off and as my foot wasn’t causing me any pain or to limp, I went dock walking in Cannes and Antibes. Whilst dock walking on Saturday I spoke to the first mate of a boat called Clifford II, which ironically, was berthed three boats down from Suakin in Antibes. The first mate, Josh told me that they were unsure what they were doing for the winter and they might be looking for a deckhand. He said they may be heading to the Caribbean or staying in Antibes for the winter and going to a shipyard for a couple of months. Either way they were hoping to find out within the week. I wasn’t expecting anything to come of it but on my way home from work on Monday, Josh said that he was hoping to catch me and could I have a word with the captain? They told me the boat would be staying in Antibes for the winter, going to a shipyard for some major work and they needed a deckhand. The captain, Bob, talked about the career opportunities and the possibility of doing more certificates. Josh told me he had worked for the owners for four years and said they were really nice people to work for.

I imagined that if I was offered a job, I would be extremely excited and would struggle to control my emotions but I stayed very calm and took in all the details. That evening my mind raced and I didn’t know what to do. I was encouraged to hear that Josh had stuck around for four years and believed him when he said the owners are nice people to work for. Bob’s talk about starting a career on the boat also appealed to me but I had my heart set on travelling somewhere hot. The next day after work, Bob showed me round the boat. I was really impressed and fell in love with her. She looked impressive from the dock but as soon as I saw the interior, jacuzzi and deck furnishings, I thought, this boat is sexy. Everything was perfect apart from staying in Antibes for the winter. In the end I thought, what’s my rush, there will be plenty more Caribbean seasons and I can’t turn down a position with a future. The size of the boat and amount of crew is perfect, it’s modern, stylish and super sexy. I accepted Bob’s offer and started work the following Friday.  I am now looking forward to learning the boat and my job well during the shipyard period and should hit the ground running when the Mediterranean season starts again next March / April.

Ever since my accident I hate the word lucky. I worked bloody hard for this opportunity and believe you get out of life what you put in. Everything I did in Antibes was geared towards find a job. My days off from Suakin were spent dock walking for permanent positions, I asked lots of questions and knocked on many doors. Countless people have told me, finding a job in yachting is all about being in the right place at the right time. This saying is spot on and sums it up much better than being lucky.

Afan Forrest

We finally arrived in Cymeer after just over 5 hours of travelling. Apart from the time, and a few numb asses the journey wasn’t that bad and fairly comfortable. Dad had made a make shift seat out of two pieces of ply leaning up against the cab, cushioned with sun bed mattresses. We were armed with iPods, speakers and a laptop for in cab entertainment but unfortunately could only just hear them over the noise of the engine. After only being able to hear 2 of every 5 words spoken the laptop died three quarters of the way through Hall Pass just as it was getting good. Disappointingly we missed the hot Aussie get her tits out, gutted

Mrs Williams who owned the cottages must have heard the van pull in as moments later she was there to welcome and show us around the cottage. Downstairs was made up of a front room and a kitchen with a dining table in the middle. It was obvious that most of the tenants were mountaineer bikers as the inner cushions under the covers on the sofa were wrapped in plastic bags. Upstairs was consisted of two rooms of bunks and a toilet. Dad and Martin shared the smaller room with two bunks and Andy, Mike, Tom and I took the soon to be windy four bunk room. I was impressed with the cottage; it felt homely and had everything you needed. Downstairs had a cozy feel to it and was just big enough for six. Dinner time was a bit of a squeeze and a little like playing twister when struggling to stretching from left leg green to right arm blue.

Shortly after we arrived Mike got on with the dinner, while us others unpacked the van. I was hungry anyway so smelling the food cooking didn’t help matters and by the time the prawns, in chilli sauce with a side of salad was ready, I was ravenous. To satisfy my hunger I got stuck into the prawns a little too enthusiastically and probably should have saved a little more room for the steak. I didn’t really care though as one of my plans for this holiday was to enjoy the food and fill my boots each meal and I’d without doubt started the way I meant to go on. For mains we were served a massive door stop steak with dauphinoise potatoes, and a mix of onion, mushroom and tomatoes in steak juice. It was my kind of meal; rich, meaty and absolutely divine. To be honest I was done three quarters of the way through my steak but managed to push on through and was very happy when Mike mentioned carrot cake for dessert. My greed wanted the cake but I was more than satisfied after the feast so Mike suggestion gave me a good excuse to be greedy.

To my surprise I woke naturally at 7am and was ready for the day. Everyone was up an hour or so later and to Andy’s disbelief Mike got cracking on a fry up. Both he and Dad said they couldn’t eat anything more but as soon as it was on the table they both changed their mind. We were soon made aware of what was to be a cooking time headache as the smoke alarm rang its heart out. It was so bad that someone had to constantly be upstairs as it went off every 30 seconds even with all the windows open.

The breakfast made getting out on the bikes much harder. To be honest the weather didn’t help as it was raining on and off and was grey and miserable. An hour or so later we were finally on our way to tackle a ride named ‘Whites Level’. The start of the ride was only a mile or so from the cottage, on a path about 2 or 3 bike widths wide running alongside the valley. The air was fresh, the path was scenic and the only noise was made by us. I really enjoy getting away from the hustle and bustle, being in a natural environment and giving my lungs a good workout.
I found the riding much harder than I expected and struggled throughout the ride. I had only been going a couple of minutes when I rode off the trail and had to dump the bike before riding down the hill leading into the valley. To stop motorbikes riding the trails, sty’s are put up that are just wide enough to fit a mountain bike through. After going through a sty, I lazily got back onto my bike and pushed off before getting properly set. By the time I had my feet on the pedals I was needing to pick my way through the rocky terrain and still off balance I had no chance and rode off the trail at a right angle. This wasn’t the best of starts but put it down to a lack of concentrating and tried again.

The bottom line was that I just wasn’t used to riding the terrain and it was much harder and technical to what I’m used to. While riding you have to pick your line through rocks, tree roots and over slabs while keeping to the trail which is only 3 feet wide. At slow speed my balance on the bike isn’t what it used to be, chuck in constantly bashing your pedals on rocks, while riding up hill and the space restriction of the trial and I was all over the place and had to keep putting my foot down.

As the ride went on I got more disgusted with my riding and started to get frustrated. I wasn’t able to keep up with Martin and Andy up hill because I kept having to put my foot down and get restarted again, and I wasn’t able to stay with the pace going back down. I told myself that it was because I had to take it easy as I didn’t want to fall off and hit my head again but the truth was that I’d lost my bottle. I realised this when I actually felt scared while riding a down hill section and had pushed my bike on three separate occasions. This is something I’ve never done before, previously the scarier and more dangerous the trail became the more enjoyment I got out of it.

After my realisation I decided that I should just enjoy the ride, take it at my own pace and hope that I could improve. I didn’t want to put a downer on the trip just because I couldn’t keep up with the pace and decided to just enjoy the social side of the ride. I was trying my best to stay positive but my head was dropping and I struggled to let it go. Tom told me that I should be happy that after just 7 months I was able to do this kind of riding and it shows how far I’ve come. I knew he was right but my competitiveness was getting the better of me and it was frustrating when I know how I used to ride.

My frustration soon ended when we rode past Dad with his bike upside down on the side of the trial. Tom and I stopped to see what was wrong. His front brake had seized up and was stuck on. He was in a right mood and was throwing his toys out of the pram, saying that he hates this fucking place, every time he comes it’s fucking raining and he’s never coming again. We were on the final stretch of the ride so he wheeled his bike down on the back wheel while Tom and I rode off highly amused. Dad finally got to the bottom and was looking at his brakes when the banter started. Martin was joking how this trip was the best he’s had in Wales, I was telling Dad that he should maintain his bike better and Andy was taking the piss when the camera came out.

We got home cleaned the bikes and spent the rest of the afternoon down the pub. On the way home we saw a kids climbing along a roof and hanging off the side of the clock tower. Extreme climbing must be rife in Cymmer as earlier in the day we had seen some lads climbing along a railing to a block of flats. The flats were conveniently built right next to the valley. For dinner Mike was making a chicken curry with all the trimmings including samosas, onion bhajis, home made sag paneer, and a spicy chick pea dish. The flavours were intense and it was a top curry. I was really happy as the dinners seemed to be getting better and better.

Again I was up and ready to go at 7am. After all the food I’d eaten, I felt full but hungry. I guess my body is in the habit of getting fed in the morning so it was telling me I was hungry when really I wasn’t. Again all that went out the window when the fry up was put on the table.

Today we were going to tackle the Wall and after if our legs felt okay ride Whites Level again. I knew that after riding the Wall everyone would be pumped then half way round Whites Level the legs would go and the ride would drag. First though we had to get off the sofa and on to the bikes, which was made harder as the cottage didn’t have a dryer or anywhere to hang the clothes. We did our best hanging them in the garage but as we were happy lounging on the sofa after another big breakfast, it was hard enough to get up without the thought of putting on damp clothes.

As Andy had set the pace yesterday we let him lead on the first climb. My riding had improved loads and although I still needed to put my foot out, it happened a lot less frequent and I felt more in control. Even though my riding had improved I still preferred Whites Level to the Wall because a lot of the climbs were on fire road and seemed really long. All the climbs on Whites Level take place on the trail so you need to concentrate and pick your line. When climbing fire roads they’re flat so you don’t have to concentrate and can look further ahead of you. The combination of not having to concentrate and being able to see how much more hill you have left to climb make the climbs seems longer and bring more attention to the strain of your legs.

The Wall’s down hill sections weren’t as steep as Whites Level and were more cross country so gave me chance to feel more comfortable on the bike and build up my confidence. I discovered that I rode the trails better if I broke less as it was easier to ride over the terrain at speed. By breaking less I could hold my speed which meant I didn’t need to pedal as much and could stand up more. This helps with your balance as your body acts like a spring to soak up the rocky terrain and puts you in a better position to deal with the technicality of the riding. The final two downhill sections of the Wall were good fun and the steepest. My riding had improved so much that I was able to keep with Dad on the down hill and pull away from the others. Before I knew it the wall was over and as predicted everyone was pumped and eager to ride Whites Level again. We stopped off at the cottage between rides to let Mike know what we were doing, fill our camelbaks up and eat some chocolate. Within 30 minutes we were riding on the path alongside the valley to the start of Whites Level.

The terrain of Whites Level was much rockier and technical than that of the Wall and I could see why I had struggled so much yesterday. The first climb was also longer and harder than I remembered but I still preferred it to the fire road climbs of the Wall. Tom and Andy were struggling with having already ridden the Wall and now attacking the steeper Whites Level. Even when coming down hill you don’t have a chance to rest as the trail is so bumpy your legs are working to set the rest of your body while trying to soften the impacts of the terrain. Unfortunately it was Andy’s turn to get frustrated as he wasn’t happy with his riding.  I was feeling good as my fitness is still fairly strong and as I was so pleased with the improvement of my riding, I was on a high and eager to improve some more. I was now at the front with Martin climbing the hills and at the front with Dad coming back down.

On one of downhill sections Dad could hear someone behind him and shouted out to see who it was. As I was getting better at judging my braking I would catch Dad up loads coming into the corner but lose him a little on the flat as I wasn’t pedalling as hard. On the next downhill section Dad could hear I was right on his back wheel and let me past. Yesterday I had to push my bike over two sections as I didn’t fancy the look of riding it but today I went down with minimal hesitation. At the end of the trail Dad congratulated me and welcomed me back. I couldn’t believe the improvement I’d made. I knew I was capable of riding better but I didn’t think it would happen so quickly.  

On the ride back I speed off back to the cottage so that when they returned four cold Stella’s were waiting to be drunk. Tom said he thought I was up to something and Dad had slated me for speeding off but they were all glad that I had when they were drinking the Stella. 

That evening I felt superb, my legs were tingling and felt tired and heavy from the ride and I was looking forward to chilling out and not moving in front of the TV. Mike had saved the best for last and made a Sunday roast with belly of pork and apple and rhubarb crumble for dessert. I can’t remember the last time I’ve enjoyed a roast so much, it was heavenly. Shortly after dessert I said I needed a comfy seat and headed to the sofa to veg out. To Martins delight everyone followed so he helped himself to the left over crumble. Mike said his eye lit up when he saw everyone get up and the crumble was in his bowl in a flash.

The evening went just as I wanted it to, I didn’t move from the couch because a), my legs just wanted to be lazy and b), I was so full that I couldn’t have moved even if I wanted to. Its days like these that make a mountain biking holiday worth the effort keep you coming back for more. There was talk of Tom, Andy and I fitting a quick ride in on the Monday before leaving but in the morning no one could be bothered. It’s probably for the best that we didn’t go as we left on a high and wanting more. All in all I had a fantastic weekend and enjoyed every minute of it. Lots of things happened on the trip that will have us reminiscing for year to come. I think the fondest memory will be of Mike and his culinary delights.

Click here to view more pictures.

Sailing Courses

I was off to the Isle of Wight to take my STCW95 (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping) VHF Radio (Very High Frequency Radio) and Power Boat Level II certificates so I would qualify to work on super yachts.

Before leaving, Mum asked if I was excited about my courses and the truth is I wasn’t. I need to sit them before being allowed to work on a super yacht and I viewed them as something that needed to be done. I was looking forward to getting out of Maidstone and seeing somewhere new but I certainly wasn’t excited. The trouble is since getting back from New Zealand I haven’t had any commitments or things I’ve needed to do so I’ve gotten complacent and a bit lazy.

I caught the train to Southampton and then a Ferry to Cowes. I was nearing the end of my current book The Game and was engrossed in that so the train journey passed fairly quickly and before I knew it, I was on the ferry heading for Cowes. Before boarding the ferry I thought to myself that I should have a look around and I take in the sights as I’ve never been to the Isle of Wight before. Unfortunately the view from the ferry wasn’t great as the weather was overcast and as is it was approaching early evening time the backdrop looked grey and moody so I gave in.

The first person I saw on the Isle of Wight was Ben, who I’d met when working for Explore NZ. He worked on the America’s Cup boats and as soon as I saw him, I remembered him saying he was heading to the UK to spend the summer sailing. I couldn’t believe I’d bumped into him and thought to myself what a small world. We swapped numbers and said we’d meet one evening for a beer, unfortunately that didn’t happen. He txt me that evening but as I was starting the course tomorrow I wanted to be on form and when I txt him on Friday night he was in London, visiting a friend.

The cottages (from the brown door to the water's edge).
They look much better in the photo.

On arrival my first impressions of the cottages weren’t great. From the outside they looked dirty, a little run down and in need of a lick of paint. The accommodation was okay and would do the job for the week, I mean all you need is a bed, shower and somewhere to cook and the cottages ticked all three boxes but my expectations from the pictures and descriptions on the website weren’t met.

No one was about so I decided to have a little look around and walked along the sea front to the esplanade. I was shocked at how many pubs I passed on my way. Cowes is a pretty small place, I only walked for about 10 minutes but saw at least as many pubs. During my walk I got a call from my parents and Granny. It’s the first time I’ve been away since my accident and returning home so anticipated a few calls. After them both calling at least three or four times during my trip (8 days) I smiled to myself and thought do they realise I’m a 27 year old man? At least my trip to Cowes let them get used to me being away again because they aren’t going to be able to call every day when I’m at sea!

VHF Radio.

The course didn’t start until 10am so was nice and relaxed. We all meet in the outside court yard then went up to the class room. There were about 12 people taking the course. 5 of them had been in Cowes for 6 weeks sitting other certificates; there was a group of ex army guys that were going into marine security to combat the threat of pirates on container ships and one other fella who wanted to pick up some yachting work before joining the Navy. I really didn’t understand why the guy who was joining the Navy was paying for these certificates as the Navy finance you to do more in depth training than we were doing, still, each to their own.

The courtyard.

Our teacher, Angus was a lively fellow who had a strong enthusiasm for sailing and in particular the radio. He told us lots of humorous stories relating to the radio that happened while he was out sailing. We covered a fair bit of information and most of the sailing related theory went over my head. The army guys were used to using radio’s so only needed to learn the bits related to the marine industry and the 5 that had been here for 6 weeks seemed to take things on board especially the sailing theory better than I. You never know they may have been thinking the same. My trouble wasn’t taking notes while listening to Angus but I found it impossible to try and memorise the key points whilst the class continued. Fortunately Angus told us that although we had to sit a test, he had never had anyone fail and the exam wasn’t taken in strict exam conditions. This relaxed me and I stopped worrying about taking too many notes and just listened to what he had to say. At times I relaxed a little too much and caught my self tuning out and starting to drift off.

As soon as the exam paper was handed out my mind went blank and I thought here we go. I tried to relax and flicked through the questions until I saw one that I definitely knew the answer to and started from there. In the end it all came back to me and I found the exam fairly easy and straight forward. After Angus had marked my paper he told me to look at question 5 again, no wonder he has never had anyone fail the exam before.

Elementary First Aid.

This was the first day of the STCW95 course so we had 6 or 7 new faces join the group. Our group was pretty cool, it was made up of people in their early twenties right up to late thirties possibly even early forties and from all different backgrounds. I no longer felt like the only one struggling to grasp all the sailing terminology so was much happier.

The class room.

Our teacher, again was very good and even pulled out a bag of jelly babies and chocolate biscuits (and told us to get stuck in) when talking about Diabetes and the need of an instant sugar hit. He worked as an on call helicopter medic for the oil rigs and earned £800 a day! He was very eccentric and made a few comments including sticking chocolate bars in inappropriate places and having allergies when PVC touched his mouth that made me wonder about his sexuality.

The course was more in depth than I imagined, covered a lot of topics and I found it really interesting. This time we were given a course book to take away that covered all the topics. I felt much happier that we had the book as it meant I could pay more attention to the lecture and read up on the subject on my own time. I was determined to pay attention and get as much out of this course as I could as I think having a decent knowledge of first aid is a good life skill to have.

At the end of the class we had another exam, this time he didn’t tell us if we had answered questions incorrectly but did allow us to use the course book to answer the questions.

Sea Survival.

I was really looking forward to this part of the course as it was practical and sounded good fun. The course was taken by Richie and Richie, both ex Navy and now working as fire fighters.

For the first half of the day we were in the class room covering theory. After lunch we were taken to the local swimming baths and had to prove that we could swim two laps of the pool in overalls. I decided to dive into to the pool and instantly didn’t feel right. I felt disorientated and had a slight head ache but didn’t think anything of it and started swimming. As I was turning round for my second lap I twigged that the reason I wasn’t feeling too good was the impact of the water on my head. This brought back the reality that I’m still healing and need to slow down a little and be more cautious. 

A life raft. The inside is blue to boost morale.

After the swim we was taught how to enter the water wearing a life jacket, learnt how to keep the group together in the water while being able to swim and how to fend of sharks. If you notice sharks whilst in the water you are supposed to form a circle facing outwards, link arms and kick your legs. The shadow from everyone joint in a circle and the noise from the splash will hopefully make the shark think whatever’s above is bigger than them and scares them off. Hopefully I’ll never need to try this technique out.


We then got two life rafts out, had to get on board without any help (which is trickier that it sounds), learnt how to flip it over if it’s blown on its side and piled in and had a little chat about sea survival. To finish the day we paired off into two groups, entered the water in our life jackets, swam two lengths in a line connected together and then enter the rafts. Richie and Richie whispered to people to act as if they were unconscious at different points to see how the group would react and if the casualties were rescued.

I didn’t enjoy the day as much as what I thought I would. Ever since my accident I’ve felt the cold considerably more and was uncomfortably cold in the pool, which ruined the day for me. I was also a little concerned about my head after the dive and I didn’t feel comfortable in the raft with everyone piling in and swinging their arms and legs everywhere, as I was worried I’d get a whack to the head.

Personal Safety and Social Responsibility.

This part of the course was supposed to be the worst because it was so boring, but I actually enjoyed the class and found it interesting. I learnt a lot and it made me realise that you need to have your wits about you. I was always a little naïve when thinking about working on a super yacht and only thought about the travel and life in the sun. This class made me realise that going to sea can be dangerous and made me aware of what can happen. 

Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting.

The fire fighting part of the course is covered over two days. We started the first day in the class room and learnt about different types of fire and how to tackle them. The theory side only lasted a few hours and then we jumped on the bus and drove to the fire station.

We got kitted up then had a go using fire extinguishers. When putting out a fire you don’t aim the extinguisher right at the fire, you’re supposed direct the hose at a backboard or shoot up into the air so that fluid splashes or drops onto the fire. We were also shown what happens when you use water to try and extinguish a fire caused by burning liquids, the result was frightening.

We then broke into two groups, my group was shown how to set up the breathing apparatus (BA) and put it on. I was surprised that fire fighters rely on verbal communication and don’t know hand signals for back up. I suppose that when you’re fighting a fire it’s dark and smoky so you won’t be able to see hand signals. Before going home we were shown around hot house where tomorrow we would be fighting a real fire.

The next day my group was shown how to set the hose up, do the fireman shuffle, how to move around a burning building and open doors. Everyone’s coordination when doing the fireman’s shuffle was awful. You have to put your weight on your back foot while stamping your front foot on the ground to make sure it will take your weight then shuffle forward and repeat. While doing this you have to move your arm from the top of your head to the front of your face in a circular motion, with the back of your hand facing out to protect you from falling debris.

The Hot House.

Once we had practised all the theory it was time to go in. While we were waiting to enter the hot house I felt slightly nervous but as soon as I was in the front door, instinct took over and I was too focused on the job at hand to be nervous. We had to navigate our way around the outside wall and through two rooms until we got to the hose that was coiled up at the top of the stairs. The room was pitch black and I kept tripping over the hose on the way to the top of the stairs. I was number 3 so my job was feeding the hose from the coil and around the corner in the stairs. When we reached the fire, Richie talked to us about what to look for and told us again how to fight a fire. We all had a go at cooling the gases around the ceiling and the door frame and fighting the fire back to its origin. We couldn’t extinguish the fire completely as it had to keep going so four more groups could experience the hot house.

Before leaving the hot house we had to work our way back up the stairs coiling the hose back at the top ready for the next group. Someone accidentally kicked the branch on and water started spraying out. I found this funny as we couldn’t see anything and didn’t know where the branch was. Richie wasn’t so amused as the more water that was sprayed in the hot room the hotter it would get through out the day.

Power Boat Level II.

As the STWC95 course finished yesterday most people had gone home and only Dave and I was left. We were joined on the course by another guy who had previously done the course and wanted to do it again as a refresher. We started off in the class room to cover a little bit of theory then we changed into wet weather gear and headed out to the rib. The rib was much bigger than I expected, had four seats, enough room to fit 6 people comfortably in behind the seats and two outboard motors. The weather was miserable and I had to squint so I could see where I was going through the rain. Even though it was cold and wet I loved driving around on the rib and it reminded me how much I enjoy being on the water and how badly I want to work on a super yacht.

Resisting the urge to go for a joy ride.

Fortunately the bad weather cleared up and was actually sunny the following day. Dave needed a passport picture for his power boat license so we planned a journey to Portsmouth in our theory class and practised a few man over board techniques on the way. The most important thing to remember when collecting an overboard passenger is to turn the motors off before you get to them so the propeller doesn’t chop off any limbs!

The navigation side of things was pretty easy and I now know how to follow the bouys to where I need to get to. We also got to practice the using the radio as we had to ask the harbour master for permission to cross the channel and to berth temporally in Portsmouth Harbour.

On the way home I drove the whole way, and had to restrict my self from doing 360’s and generally messing around. I had to be a good boy with the teacher sitting behind me and it took all my will power as the boat can turn on a six pence and has some serious power so is just asking to be taken for a joy ride.

I really enjoyed my time in Cowes and the courses, more importantly I’ve got my drive back to get on a super yacht. I learnt a lot and I can see why you need to have the certificate before being allowed to work at sea. I definitely feel more competent, aware of the risks and confident. All I need now is a job.

Click here for more photos.

Let me know your thoughts and leave a comment :)

6 Months On

Looking back it seems like a long time ago since my accident and 6 months has flown, though at the time the month I spent in rehab felt like a month! Don’t get me wrong the time didn’t drag but I had a lot of time to think and I guess being so focused on getting better and what needed improving made the time move slower.  My memory has conveniently forgotten the hard times, but I still remember thinking I never want to feel like this again and have to go through a similar situation.

I’ve come along way since feeling constantly tired, grumpy and the sensation of having a permanent haze slowing my brain from digesting and acting upon any information. At this moment, I feel fantastic. I’m definitely recapturing the old me and my previous personality. I’m surprised that my personality has taken the longest to heal and I still think I have a way to go. Every time I’ve made big improvements I remember thinking, I’m nearly there. Funnily enough 6 months on and I’m still thinking the same, all I say is long may the improvements keep coming.

It didn’t take me long to until I was living what I would call a ‘normal life’. With in 3 months of the accident I was back to full time work, regularly working out at the gym and being able to comfortably fit things in like food shopping. After about 5 months I finally let go of my afternoon rest. To start with it was hard work but I knew I didn’t really need it and my body was getting addicted to the rests. I could have stopped the whole rest saga after 4 months but I stupidly reintroduced it as I was having a bad week. Never mind, we live and learn.

Since leaving New Zealand and returning home to my family, I’ve made huge improvements. I think it’s because I’ve been able to relax and not worry about commitments like work or fitting things in. My fatigue has totally cleared up and I can now stay out clubbing until the early hours of the morning. It is a little weird not drinking but I’m getting used to it and actually quite enjoy it. You pick up on a whole lot more being sober, especially female attention :) Initially I used to feel a little self conscious when dancing and struggled to let my self go but to be honest dancing was never my strong point. Fortunately, each time I go out, letting go and relaxing gets easier and easier and it won’t be long until I even notice a difference.

I’ve also decided to take up mountain biking again. Initially I wouldn’t entertain the idea as like I’ve said I never want to go through the situation again and wasn’t prepared to do anything that increased the chances of me having another brain injury in the 2 year recovery period. Riding again has been a bonus and it’s forced my brain to improve how it deals with processing at speed. I no longer ride like the maniac I used to, racing everyone and pulling out all the stops to win or doing things that people said I couldn’t. Now I just ride for the social side and plod along with in my limits. I am getting quicker down hill but I’m well within my comfort zone.  One day riding home from my mates on the path I fell off and it shock me up big time. I wasn’t confident bumping up an angled curb so slammed my brakes on, but hit the curb before I stopped, washing out my front wheel. Initially my pride was all that was hurt; I felt an idiot and quickly got back on my bike. Shortly after picking myself up the adrenaline wore off, my arms and legs turned to jelly and the crash started playing on my mind. I did however get to see how your body does a great job of protecting the head.

Another thing I’ve done that may not seem the most sensible thing, is occasional labouring for my Dad. He owns a felt roofing company so I’m up and down the ladder with 40kg rolls of felt on my shoulder or hot cans of bitumen in my hand. At first my footing was a little shaky but each trip up the ladder and every day I worked the job got easier and my balance steadier. The work hit me hard though, and after the first two days I was in bed by 8:30. I honestly can’t remember ever feeling so tired after a day of doing something, I was wiped out.  The one thing I’ve learnt from this recovery process is you have to keep pushing yourself and it’s surprising how quickly the body improves. If I didn’t work with Dad or ride my bike again my brain wouldn’t have been forced to deal with the new situations and the improvements wouldn’t have been made.

Well that’s all my news and the last I will write on the subject. Hopefully my recovery will keep going from strength to strength and the plan is to return stronger than I was before my accident. I’ve got no doubt that will happen.

If anyone is reading this blog after a recent brain injury or knows someone who’s had one, you do improve and things do get better. You may not believe me when everything is a struggle and the recovery seems like a long rocky road but it’ll happen. The advice I would give is stay positive, know you will recover and constantly push yourself. You’re the only one who knows how you’re feeling so trust your judgement, if you’re happy you can move to the next level do it.