Arwen's meanderings

Hi everyone and welcome to my dinghy cruising blog about my John Welsford designed 'navigator' named Arwen. Built over three years, Arwen was launched in August 2007. She is a standing lug yawl 14' 6" in length. This blog records our dinghy cruising voyages together around the coastal waters of SW England.
Arwen has an associated YouTube channel so visit www.YouTube.com/c/plymouthwelshboy to find our most recent cruises and click subscribe.
On this blog you will find posts about dinghy cruising locations, accounts of our voyages, maintenance tips and 'How to's' ranging from rigging standing lug sails and building galley boxes to using 'anchor buddies' and creating 'pilotage notes'. I hope you find something that inspires you to get out on the water in your boat. Drop us a comment and happy sailing.
Steve and Arwen

Tuesday 19 August 2014

Nelson messini beach club

What can I say? Another excellent Neilson centre. The short transfer time yesterday was a great boon, the slight delay in getting into our rooms, a hiccup. Messini is the newest beach club and I have to say I am genuinely very impressed. What brings me back to Neilson time and time again are the staff, equipment, tuition and facilities. They are all top class. That includes everyone from kids club staff to kitchen and restaurant teams and hotel staff and cleaners. Excellence and standards are just the norm.

Today I have been doing day one of my national powerboat qualification. I have never been in a powerboat before....I know....difficult to believe but basically true. The very odd encounter when I have been leading sailing holidays for school students but basically limited experience and so I thought it was time I learned how to drive and control one. My instructor was outstanding. He would be. An extraordinary amount of experience and skill along with an easy going instruction manner. It's just typical of every Neilson staff member I come across. 

This afternoon, redoing some level two dinghy sailing skills and I have polished up some things heaps. It pays to get tuition again and a constructively critical eye or bad habits creep in.  Tomorrow I am in a single handed laser. After Arwen, this should be an interesting encounter. I haven't capsized anything in five years! And now you know why I am redoing some level two stuff for a bit! And centre main sheets......after an aft main sheet....what a kurffle that is! 

Still, I'm chilling at one of the bars, cold drink in hand, lovely breeze, temp of thirty degrees C and here is my current view!


Internet access is erratic so if you post a comment I apologise in advance if I don't reply immediately. 

No comments: