The future excites and terrifies me all at the same time…I have only 8 weeks from tomorrow left in my current Global CIO role, no doubt more travel, more problems, more IT balls to juggle but time will fly and I need to get my s**t together!. I have enough sailing qualifications to be able to charter a boat in the sunshine or a nice trip down the coast in nice weather from the past 5 years of learning to sail yachts, but offshore in heavy weather – this is another level and is going to be hard, I need to get myself prepared.
I have signed up for a course, professional sail training with a well known sailing school based in the Solent near Southampton that put students through a 17 week zero to hero course. I am lucky to be joining after the 7th week (precisely the Monday after I finish work) as I have previously achieved the theory exams and have enough practical nautical miles from the past 5 years. The remaining course is split into two 5 week modules, with a 12 hour exam at the end – where the examiner can ask you to sail anywhere in the English Channel, under differing circumstances from electrical failure, to man over board, to night time pilotage into a port or marina with no engine – the actual sailing is the easy bit ! If I pass, (fingers crossed), this will then give me the commercially endorsed Yachtmaster Offshore certificate, known as the ‘ticket’ as it opens up potential paid sailing work opportunities, the world literally becomes your sailing oyster. Trying not to look too far ahead, the next step after that is unknown, do I return to London to find another CIO technology leadership role full time?, do I continue sailing?, do I try and find paid work in the marine industry or do I try and do both and strike that work life balance that many of us crave for?. Right now, I am trying to not over think it and pre determine the outcome but enjoy the nervous tension of what the future might bring….Just keep following the wind and see where it takes me !
West Afloat 