This is grossly overdue. In my defence, it’s a bit hard to talk about such things. And I actually thought—until a few weeks ago when an anonymous commenter posted something—that I’d posted something already.

So, I failed on the sea phase. I was just about there, but not quite. So, I didn’t pass go, and didn’t collect 200$, and I didn’t get posted. I sat around as a PAT and tried to build my confidence back up.

I got a good chance to build it up when I found myself used as a helmsman for a reserve MARS IV’s OOW manoeuvres training. At one point, the group had to do one more run, but the cubicle I was in had all gone through, so their instructor asked me how far I’d gone in training, and gave me a chance to do a run. Not surprisingly (I passed the manoeuvres at sea doing both assessed runs on the same day) I did well, and I was on my way back to being confident on the bridge.

I found out at the last minute or, more accurately, a few hours late, that I was put on another sea phase, and that I needed to go to the NABS to join the group and shake the rust off. The mentors (retired former COs types) remembered me and were really nice in helping me focus on what I had trouble with before so I can not only get back on the curve, but blast through it.

I feel a lot more confident, especially as I’ve solved some of the issues that were weighing heavily on my mind the first time around. I have experience, I know what I’m going into, and from the way things have gone in the NABS, I think I’m starting a few rungs higher than where I started last time, despite the long time without doing anything navy-like for a while.

We have four more days in the NABS, then we sail on August 3rd for six weeks. I can’t wait.

I’ll try and post more about MARS IV this time around, and maybe after a few more issues, but no promises.

Oh, and I have an announcement to make:

I asked for the East Coast and, considering how more than two-thirds of the class wants to stay West, I’m probably going to get it. As much as I like BC, it makes more sense for me to move to Halifax at this time. I’m sure I’ll end up being sent on the FNO course and coming back to Venture at some point. (If you’re my career manager and you’re reading this: please don’t consider this an invitation to slot me on an FNO course—but feel free to pencil me in for subs!)