My Journey to driving

If you asked me five years ago, I would have said “never in a million years would I be driving a boat before a car!”.

We’ve come a long way since buying the Oriental Lady in late 2021. I know that all I’ve learnt so far, and all that I want to learn over these next few years will help me in many ways throughout my life.

Photo : Ross and I on the bow of the boat as Dad brings us into a mooring. Ross is giving me instruction on how it all works.

My boat-driving journey started when I was 13, we’d only just bought our first ever boat and were all a bit nervous. Dad had been on a few trips with the previous owner and was first to learn how to drive this 57ft vessel, so it only made sense that he was captain. I was quickly nominated as first mate because Mum was occupied looking after my younger brothers (who at the time were 2 and 6), little did I know that this first opportunity would spark my passion for boats and inspire my boat-driving adventure.

Photo : Here I am at the flybridge helm with the previous owner Ross in the background as I learn how the controls all work.

As our family adventures on more extensive trips, we slowly gained more confidence and experience out on the water. As first mate, my job at the time was to help with anchoring, mooring, keeping lookout when foggy, turning the instruments on and off, and just being on hand at all times whilst dad was driving.
After a few trips, and by the time dad felt comfortable driving and manoeuvring our boat, he started to teach me. I remember sitting up on the top deck (flybridge) under a blue sky, dotted with a blanket stratus cloud, simply observing him drive. Sometimes I'd sit, watching for hours, while we would talk about the maritime rules and the ‘more challenging’ areas of the channels. I think that was what inspired me, how he made it look so effortless and interesting, like a conductor conducting his orchestra, how even the slightest adjustment to the wheel could take us in an entirely different direction. At the helm, he was in control of where we could go (and because we were on the water we could go anywhere), and the adventures we could have.

Photo : Me relaxed driving the boat and logging in the hours!.

That winter (2022) I began driving us to our destinations. It felt somewhat intimidating at first, as I would be the one responsible for everyone’s (including the boat’s) safety. Dad and I would take shifts driving, as at times it was freezing, and I soon grew to love the satisfying feeling of taking us where we wanted to go and knowing that I was the one who got us there. These days, I’m much more confident, driving the boat more frequently and for longer stretches of time and I'm even the one who drives the boat while we’re anchoring and mooring!

Photo : Me positioning the boat so that Dad can pull up the anchor.

I feel so much more comfortable driving than I ever thought I would, and I have even braved the complex Havelock channel multiple times now. Since completing my Day Skippers ticket and participating in a First Aid course with the Red Cross, I’m working on/studying for my VHF Radio course, which will definitely come in handy when we’re out at sea. A challenge I face constantly in the boating world is “not being old enough”. There are many times when I want to do a certain course or qualification, only to find out that even if I have the experience, I have to be over 18 to apply. This is a common setback that many people face in all areas of learning. 
A lot has changed since buying the Oriental Lady in late 2021. Our family has taken to the boat lifestyle with such enthusiasm, that our one year educational  experience has now passed 3 years! My personal future plans and goals have evolved and steered towards the yachting industry. I know that all I’ve learnt so far, and all that I want to learn over these next few years will help me in many ways throughout my life.
Whilst there are certainly ups and downs, and things can become exceedingly stressful at times, anyone that owns a boat will tell you “That’s simply how it is”, I accept that and my love for the ‘yacht life’ has only grown. It is incredibly rewarding to come through these challenging situations unscathed and there is always an entertaining story to be told. I hope to someday experience working on or captaining larger yachts (super yachts) around the Mediterranean, that way I can continue learning, do what I love, and get to travel. Since age 15, I've been documenting my hours spent driving for future references. I am building my certifications whilst gaining real life experiences… and I STILL can’t drive a car!

Who knows where this boating journey will take me?