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 Learn Something New…

 
         picture courtesy of Chris Davies/Powerboatpix.com 

Octogenarians go electronic in James Bond powerboat cross-channel adventure

Many octogenarians (and others) struggle to understand their TV remote controls, but one pair of seafaring friends is mastering the latest marine electronics for a cross-Channel adventure in a James Bond powerboat.

Geoff Tobert (80) and his younger companion Ray Bulman (79), set off on 25 June from London to Calais in a restored 40 year old classic Sovereign powerboat, last used by actor Daniel Craig in the Quantum of Solace Bond movie.   

They are re-tracing the route of the famous 1960s Putney-Calais powerboat races in the 17 foot  boat,  which was built by the company now known as Sunseeker - famed for its luxury motoryachts costing in excess of £15million. 


    picture courtesy of Chris Davies/Powerboatpix.com 

While both men have had many adventures during their years of long-distance powerboat cruising and racing – forty five years ago they drove 1,000 miles in an open runabout boat before the boat exploded while being refuelled during the return journey – this is the first time they will be using state-of-the-art electronics to aid them in their journey. 

Supplied by Portsmouth-based Raymarine, a worldwide manufacturer of marine electronics, which also traces its pedigree back to the 1970s with the development of the first autopilot for sailboats in 1973; the electronics will give the pair a ‘third pair of eyes’ – enabling them to use AIS tracking to ’see’ individual vessels as they cross the busy shipping lanes, to set up routes and waypoints to keep them on track, and also show their speed – to ensure they do not break the speed limits along the River Thames. 

Ray says:  “While Geoff and I are old hands at actually steering the boat, it’s true our eyes aren’t what they used to be.  The Raymarine electronics show us large bright coloured details that we’d struggle to see from the paper charts or visually on the crossing.  The Channel is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, so we need as much assistance from the latest electronics as possible.” 

The chartplotter shows the exact distance travelled, working out the effect of tides and weather during the 10-hour crossing.  This precise information is vital as the pair will also have to re-fuel the boat during the crossing, and to maintain contact with their support boat.

Geoff concludes:  “I’ve found the chartplotter easier to use than my TV’s digi box at home – so much so that I’ve already entered a waypoint at our destination called “Champagne at Calais”.  That should entice us to get there!”

 For more details about Geoff and Ray’s classic channel crossing, the route and biographies see www.runabout2superyacht.co.uk. 

For more detail about Raymarine products visit www.raymarine.com

    Mountway's New

    Mobility  Products

Based in Tredegar, South Wales, Mountway is a leading specialist in the design and provision of independent living solutions with over 25 years experience within the assistive technology industry.

Mountway’s extensive product range provides help with bathing, toileting, mobility and daily living needs both in and around the home. Mountway products  that are specifically designed to assist with vehicle travel include –

Handybar®
The Handybar®, one of Mountway’s most popular transfer aids, is a portable handle that offers extra support and leverage allowing a person to enter and exit vehicles easily. The Handybar is ideal for both drivers and passengers with a variety of needs including arthritis, back, hip and knee problems, pregnant women or even those recovering from surgery. It easily clamps to the ‘u’ shaped locking plate on a car door frame and is light and compact so can be stored in the glove compartment. The Handybar also offers added value with its capability to be used in an emergency as a side window breaker and seatbelt cutter. It will fit most vehicles worldwide.

AutoSlide
The AutoSlide sits on a car seat to assist users in moving onto and off the seat easily with a soft, padded cushion that slides the persons body into position. It includes robust handles for other passengers or carers to use if extra help is required and firmly attaches to car seats to prevent users from sliding forward when the car is in motion.

Mountway products for the home include:

Aquila Bath Lift and accessories
The Aquila is a lightweight reclining bath lift which is particularly suited to users whose specific conditions may benefit from a reclining back position. Weighing under 10kg, the robust and compact Aquila can be used with an array of accessories which provides flexibility for use by children and in a variety of bath styles.

Etac Swift commode
The Etac Swift is a 4-in-1 multi-functional commode chair that reduces the space required to accommodate a shower chair, commode, free standing toilet seat raiser and chair. It is safe and stable on any surface thanks to its adjustable legs, and the seat can be angled to help when moving from sitting to standing. As a lightweight modular system the Etac Swift is easy to dismantle and transport and its materials and design facilitates a rust free frame.

Serena Pillow Lift
From the bedroom range, Mountway’s Serena Pillow Lift raises and lowers the user into the most comfortable position in bed at the simple touch of a button. Particularly designed to assist users with limited upper body strength, it can alter a person’s position from lying to sitting in bed.

Beauty Body Care
The range of Beauty body care products are ergonomically designed to provide maximum power with minimal effort and muscle strain. These include the Etac Beauty Body Washer and the Etac Beauty Back Washer, designed to easily clean the body without straining hands, arms or shoulders. The Multi-purpose Grip makes using a nail file easy for those with difficulty manipulating their fingers and can be adapted for use with a toothbrush or razor. Also included in the range are the Etac Beauty Comb and Hair Brush which can be held close to the body without losing power or reach.
 

   Getting Back To Work
John Lees, leading Career Transition Coach and Working Lives Expert - offers sound advice
 
 
Recent news reports that 2.2 million people are now unemployed and that 280,000 people have lost their jobs this year so far. Accordingly to leading work expert, John Lees, people need smarter, doable strategies for navigating the job search game. Here he shares some of his tried and tested strategies for finding meaningful work, even in tough times.
  
Don’t Play The Ideal/Real Game:
You don't need a perfect job, just one you enjoy 3.5 days out of five - hunt for a 70% overlap between your work satisfaction and the true needs of an organisation.
  
 
Get Help To Bounce Back:
Ignore corporate spin - redundancy is personal. Take rejection seriously - it takes time to rescue self-esteem, and it's easy to allow knock-backs to convince you that you have nothing to offer.Recruit positive-minded friends who'll remind you what you're good at and will keep you making connections.
 
Time Things Sensibly:
Panic thrusts people into an over-eager and unfocused job search. Use the first month or so to take any bitterness out of your leaving story, learn how to give short, upbeat answers, and stay away from top recruiters or killer contacts until you have a very clear sense of what you want next.
 
Don't follow the herd:
Only applying for advertised positions is a safe way of prolonging the agony, as will chasing jobs in declining industries. Look for organisations that are swimming against the tide, or niche sectors that are doing well.
 
Don’t Refresh Your CV – Rethink It: There are too many undifferentiated CVs out there, so look again at the first 20 words. If you find you're being offered the same tired old jobs you're trying to escape, it's probably your doing. If you want to change career path, your CV needs to be very clear about why you want a change of direction. The opening section should communicate the explanations you would give when handing the document over to someone in person.
 
Get Out There:
A job search conducted sitting at a screen in your bedroom will always be low-energy. Jobsites will occupy your time, but unless you have a technical specialism, are unlikely to get results more than 5% of the time. Better to boost your confidence by wearing good business clothes and meeting people at least once a week.
Finally, think your job search backwards:
As recruitment advertising continues to shrink it becomes even more likely that you'll only find interesting roles through connections and chance encounters. Push the law of averages in your direction and you start to create your own luck - make direct approaches to target organisations, and keep talking to people in real jobs rather than conducting your job search on the internet.