LANZAROTE.Having rested,partied,played and toured Lanzarote, this week was all about organising boat schooling for the children.

Miss Tippy was turned into a school room for part of the day with Brian and I sharing the teaching.

Science experiments on the pontoon.Thanks to Gemma Whitely for the props!

Lessons are either morning or afternoon and play or field trips for the rest of the day depending on our agenda.Often walks looking at flora and fauna or lucky finds on the beach or at sea lead to further research and projects.The world is becoming one big classroom for us,the possibilities for learning seem endless.Luckily, many kind and willing helpers from the Rally fleet have offered to share their talents with the children and to help us with teaching during the week

The first welcome offer came from Christine Diment  an ex English teacher and wife of Tony the Blue Water Rally Organiser. The children got to know Christine and enjoyed her company so much in Gibraltar they were even excited to go to the Rally office for a lessons in English writing and Drama.They were able to perform a play they rehearsed and have been writing diaries and making scrapbooks with Christine’s inspiration .

We decided to have French Friday every week.We especially love Annie’s French Menus and eating her yummy food.

We try to speak and learn new French phrases as we are struggling with the curriculum not being able to speak the language,luckily a friend Chrissie from Yacht Blue Magic has offered to help with French teaching which is great!There is a great deal of division of labour between the boats and in return, Brian was happy  to don his scuba gear and clean the barnicles from Miss Tippy’s and Blue Magic’s bottoms!

Bill from Yacht Camomile taught Freddie how to cut with a jig saw, plane and sand a vital piece of wood for our dinghy outboard engine mounting. Bill has converted one of his cabins into a workshop complete with adapted Black and decker workmate . Camomile is a beautiful boat which has been restored so lovingly  with Bill’s wonderful woodcrafting and Sue’s beautiful handmade upholstery and soft furnishings. As a result of learning from a great craftsman like Bill, Freddie is becoming a dab hand at helping Dad with the boat maintainence.The girls are looking forward to sewing and knitting lessons kindly offered by Sue.

Bill and Freddie

Jane visiting from Yacht Jackamy  is an Art teacher back home, we had a great Art day  together, Jane was full of  inspiration on how to use any old bits and bobs around the boat to make fun things and helped Charlie use her paints and pastels in in many creative ways we are now free to experiment much to the Skippers dismay!

The days work and  a card for  Uncle Michael’s birthday !

Duco from Yacht Briet is a Professor of Electronics and came to Miss Tippy to give a fantastic physics lesson to Charlie and Freddie.They made electrical circuits and made lots of things buzz and light up.

Duco left us buzzing !

After a good weeks work the children earned a trip,much to their delight, in a submarine with the two other Rally children Eddie(6) and Suzanna (4)from Yacht Roundabout. (see movie on cabin kids).

At the end of the week,Mark Rayward our friend and a sailor joined us as crew for the long Atlantic trip ahead and started well with valuable maths lessons to Annie.

Thanks everyone for such help and support with our family it really does feel like we have joined a floating village.

To finish the week lots of swimming as we will soon be leaving this lovely Bay to sail 2900 miles and no swimming in the deep for us!

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