Grumpy's own thread ....... (again)

Originally posted by G.R.F. Originally posted by Phat Bouy .And finally ........... we have a windsurfing instructor at our club.......knows it all, can do it all, has done it all, will do it all, blah de blah de blah ALL........ bores allWhat is it with these bloody whinge surfers?? Lucky for you, you should listen to him, being by definition a dinghy waller therefore in possession of only partial knowledge of all things maritime yet convinced otherwise.. Maybe he's even got ten years of offshore powerboat racing experience as well.. And knows that turning an out board motor (as dicated by the RYA Powerboat safety course) off in any situation, never mind near a lee shore and in attendance to a rescue situation is stupid since likely as not the plugs get oiled on two strokes and on occasion can refuse to fire up especially if a tad warm, or following periods of near idle use...

Dear, oh dear, grumpy old girl.

You imply that you and only you have any knowledge or experience of anything - but you already knew that.

I will not bore you of my maritime adventures in all the different aqautic avenues that comprises my experience, but I will tell you that this wonderful Windy Planker instructor, previously referred to, has admitted in one of his many drunken moments, that his instructor tickets where "given" to  him. He is a sailing SI - can't sail. He is a PBI - doesn't even have a clue as to what is on any of the syllabii for the different courses that he is qualified to teach.

Go on defend him now - come on, just try ..................... because he sounds just like you with his "fcuk you" attitude to everyone who dares to disagree with him. Do you have a son of about 30 going on 13 years of age by any chance??

Oh no, I think I will bore you for a change - I took up windsurfing at Kirton's Farm, near Reading  l  o  n  g  before I got involved in; dinghies, yatchs, jet skis, kite surfing, powerboats, swimming, canoeing, canoe polo, diving, (yawn) .................................

You "aint defending anything" because you can't ..... this wonderfull self-aclaimed, self-professed, top gun windsurfing instructor, whom you clearly said that I should listen to as he is far more knowledgable and experienced than me, has now become a dork. For goodness sake, make you mind up man - what is it to be?

If you could remove your blinkers for a while, hard I know, but you would see I have put forward reasons when a prop-guard is a valid option. I also said: "Just pray that you get a good instructor and you will not know that until you get more experience."

So please do not tarnish the stoic people who man safety boats weekend in and weekend out as "muppets" when in reality it is their PB instructor who is the muppet. Any muppet PBI could spot if a pupil is not up to the standard and only a muppet PBI would issue an RYA certificate when it is patently not deserved.

My main statement goes along the lines of "So to be perfectly clear - there is no substitute for the proper and correct techniques for PB handling. Just pray that you get a good instructor and you will not know that until you get more experience. And that applies whether or not you have a prop-guard fitted."

I further go on to suggest: "Grafham Water have a good online Safety Boat guide with reminders of various techniques. Maybe the RYA would agree to a copy of their new DvD go be posted on club websites so that SB crews can swot up before their duty to remind themselves of some of the techniques and considerations before their epic adventures."

Further to this I added: "the RYA themselves do not recommend the fitting or use of prop-guards on safety/rescue boats."

So dear grumpy, old grumpy - instead of your normal bitching, how about doing something about it. Why not become a PBI yourself? But do make sure that you do it properly as I would hate to think of you as a dork!

Put the handbags away ladies...............