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

Wednesday, 8 October 2014

Weekend sailing

Huh.....I forgot! Family calendar....we are away this weekend and next. I could at a squeeze get on the water Sunday afternoon if we get back from travels. I knew it was too good to be true. There is a DCA rally close by and reminded about it by Alistair, I thought ...great.....can do it......then 'her indoors' reminded me why I couldn't and why I hadn't bothered to reply to DCA about attending in the first place.

It is typical. Rushed off my feet like so many in teaching at be moment, I have already missed one meeting this week; double booked myself on another evening.....and forgotten about this weekend and next.

I love my job but not the ridiculous hours and stupid paper work , form filling and silly tasks. Teaching students like those at my school is an immense privilege......but working 6.30am until 5pm and then 7pm until 10pm for four days a week is taking its toll. The to do list never gets shorter and I am not getting any younger and the job is getting infinitely more stressful. Sunday afternoons are written off in marking and planning.  The demand or ever higher examination results has changed teaching and not all for the good. Worrying times ahead I feel. And then I meet my classes each day and think how privileged I am to be able to learn alongside them.....well most of them!

Ho hum. Maybe, just maybe,  sneak a couple   of hours on Sunday......if I work Friday night and take some marking with me on Saturday. I really am missing being out on the water. 

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