Should I submit this for my Standard Grade (Scottish exams) English Prelim folio?

It was a beautiful day in the Bahamas. The palm trees were swaying, the crystal blue waters were shimmering, and occasionally you could see a couple of fish dart past.
We were walking along a road just next to breath-taking beaches following a diving instructor, holding our oxygen tanks, flippers and mouth pieces. The oxygen tanks were very heavy and a few people in our group were walking in a comical fashion, because there wet suits were probably too tight.
We finally reached the pier to which our catamaran was tied. I glanced down the pier to see the watermark where the tide was at his highest. Scattered all the way below was dried up seaweed and pretty shells. As I looked further down I saw that the pier was far longer than I had thought, stretching probably another 15 meters under the water. We walked down it and then clambered onto the boat.
We all took our seats and then we set off. Slowly we started to go faster and faster until the boat was smacking off of the waves and our bums hurt. Our attention was caught by a pod of dolphins leaping out of the water. They were so graceful and beautiful. It just made me feel so lucky I was to be here.
Then, just as I was getting used to the motion of the boat, the instructor slowed down until we stopped and got out of the cabin.
“Okay everyone, go and get your oxygen tanks and flippers, and then, I think we will be ready.”
I heaved on my oxygen tank and formed a line with a partner. Then I sat on the edge with my partner, and fell backwards. The water rushed over my head and immersed me in the tropical blue waters of the Bahamas.
We all gathered together under water and got or partners again and swam off. I swam along looking at all the beautiful coral reefs and the vivid coloured fish. It all went really quick and I could have stayed out there for far longer. But I suppose we had to because it was starting to get a bit darker.
We just started swimming forward slowly when I realised that my air tube was caught on some coral. It wasn’t a big deal so the instructor just swam down and was going to take it off. And then we saw it - a flash of silver darting past. Panicking, the instructor tugged at the pipe, it just wasn’t coming off. Then I spotted another silver flash behind us, and then to the left. I tugged really hard and the coral broke, setting me free.
As I turned around, all I could see was blood in the water, and then the body of the instructor floating upwards with his arm detached to his body. I suddenly realised that my oxygen tank was running out, so in desperation, I swam back to the dead remains of the instructor because I know that they had bigger tanks than us. So I took his tank and pulled mine off and put on his. I felt really selfish doing this, but it’s not like he was going to need it. I swam back up slowly, as I knew that I would explode if I went up too quick. As I swam up upwards so painfully slowly I knew that the shark could get me at any time. I finally reached the top. Then I realised that I was stuck in open water by myself…
A day past and I was shattered, because I didn’t dare to sleep. My stomach was wrenching as I hadn’t eaten anything for ages. My head was sore from not drinking anything and I probably would have lost more from diving. I was so tempted to just drink the water around me, but that would just dehydrate me even more. Now and again I would swish water around me mouth just to stop it being so dry and then I would spit it out. I was so cold, I had lost all feeling in my legs and my fingers looked like they had been in the water for years because they were so wrinkly. I was so tired so I just closed my eyes and tried so desperately not to fall asleep, but I couldn’t help it.
I woke to the sound of an engine; which was strange because I couldn’t see one. But the I looked round and saw the best thing in my life, a fishing boat! I flapped around as much as I could, so it could notice me, and it turned and started to come towards me! Closer and closer until it was right beside me. It chucked down a ladder and one of the crew members climbed down and heaved me up, I would have never been able to climb up myself, I was too weak.
They took me on and took my life jacket off of me and gave me a towel and water. Then once I warmed up they gave me some soup.
Once I got back to solid ground I found out that what happened was that they had mixed up the registers of who was going and who wasn’t and the wrong register had two less people than what there should have been. So they left us out assuming that they had everyone. I can tell you one thing, I’m not going diving again!

Anyone ever been to the Ft. Lauderdale Winterfest Boat Parade?

I want to take my family to see the Ft. Lauderdale Boat Parade this year, but I've never been and I'm not sure what the best way would be to go about it. I know there is tickets available for grandstand seating in Hugh Taylor State Park, as well as the possibility of bringing blankets/chairs and finding a spot along the seawall in the state park as well. The problem is that we won't have all day to stake out a spot (my husband is in graduate school, and we have two small kids who will tire of sitting out for hours on end reserving a spot.) I also know there are some hotels hosting viewing events, but those are too expensive for us. Are there any less crowded public viewing areas? Is most of the new river off of Las Olas packed with people during the parade? Are the tickets for grandstand worth the cash ($21 adults, and $16 for kids)? Will buying tickets save us a lot of time vs. trying to find another spot to watch it? Also, approx how long does the parade go for?

The viewing area is nice as all boats stop in front of the stands to be judged & viewed plus you can hear the music and commentators and all the other activity that happens there and you have a place to sit. If the cost is an issue, the show can been seen anywhere along the canal, go to any cross street & you will find everybody in the neighborhood on lawn chairs All drawbridges are in the "up" position for the round trip duration of the parade. The show should take about an hour but times vary & there are gaps between boats as they often move at different speeds. The kids may find that part dull. The farther north from the starting point the longer it will take for the boats to get there. Don't bother trying to "stake" a spot, it is not necessary, it is very easy to view.

Note; The next day, Sunday Dec 13, is the Pompano Beach Boat Parade, many of the boats will be in both parades. A good free viewing spot is the park at the 14th street Causeway & the Intercoastal.

i am writing a french essay tomorrow and i would really appreciate it

i am writing a french essay tomorrow and i would really appreciate it if i could have some help.
i am writing about something that is called the "big experience" which is a trip that my school does in year nine.
a little about it:
you choose a country and i went to fiji. you do community work and live with local host families in a village and just chill on the beach.
the most memorable part of my trip was getting stuck in the middle of the ocean on a really small boat with 4 other people and drivers we couldn't understand. we were driving from one island to the village and or big boat broke down and and so small water taxis had to pick us up. there were other boats, and we lost sight of those in about 5 Min's and it got dark and cold and the boat was filling up with water. the water was really rough and one of the waves was so big that when the boat came down, all of the seats in the boat broke. we didn't make it to the village we were supposed to go to, but stopped after about 3 hours of journey on another island and stayed with a different village for a night. it was the scariest night of my life.
if you could help me say any of that it would be great.
any tips are good especially tips about the past tense which is how this needs to be written.

Should i lay plastic between the vinyl and foam when reupholstering my boat seat?

Better to use top quality material(s) and good dressing compounds - I haven't found extra layers any benefit with the quality covering materials, although the cheap stuff probably needs it. The use of an open weave underlay beneath any cushion for continuous ventilation will help a lot. The sealed surface closed cell foam is always worth it for any exposed upholstery as it is not a sponge. Again if you are going to all the effort you may as well do it right I think.

It provides a vapor barrier between vinyl and the foam. The foam is,of course,porous and so is the vinyl to a degree. The plastic is not. Not allowing moisture, water, condensation etc. to penetrate deep into the foam will allow the seats to dry faster and reduce the time the moisture has to start the rotting process.

Where can I get replacement seat covers for a Boat?

I just bought an older ranger boat, and the seat covers are shot- the foam is in good shape though, is there anywhere i can buy the covers presewn and intstall them myself?

Boaters World
Ranger Boats
Try one of these websites see if that helps
Just a thought

I believe Ranger boats does still produce replacement parts for many of their older models as well. However, I can't guess if they still manufacturer seat replacements for the year of your boat's manufacturer or not. You will have to give them a call or E-mail their customer service department to find out.

If you have the seats re-upholstered, make sure the seat's plywood backing/foundation is not rotted. Otherwise you might have to just replace the whole seat entirely.

I need some ideas for a 16 foot flat bottom aluminum boat.

Its a 16 foot flat bottom aluminum boat. I will use it mostly for fishing, maybe duck hunting down the road. The boat is completely bare on the inside. The previous owner ripped all the seats out, it appears like it had bench seats in it before. I need some ideas! I want to put at least to swivel fishing chairs in it and possibley a bench in the middle. I also need to know what type and how big of a motor I should look for. I also want to build some comparments along the sides or back for tackle boxes, coolers etc. Any info will be appreciated. If you know of brand names and website links to pictures please include them. I also am looking for ideas as to where I should place the seats in the boat. Basically Im starting from the absolute bottom and trying to create a decent fishing boat. Let me know what you think.

Vinyl Boat Seat Cover

We have partnered with Bongo International to fulfill our international orders. Bongo provides our international visitors with their own US forwarding address. Once you have completed your order, we will ship your items to the Bongo warehouse for export to your country. Your new US address will allow you to purchase goods from other US retailers as well. Consolidating all US purchases into one shipment can save you up to 82% off typical international shipping rates.

Keeps seats dry, clean and free of mildew
Prevents sun fading and cracking
Reinforced side grommets vent inside moisture
Heavy-duty waterproof vinyl material
Folds for easy storage
Elastic cord in bottom hem provides a quick and secure fit
3 Year Warranty
Fits bucket, helmsman and fixed back seats up to 21" L 24" W 24" H

HOW CAN I REMOVE THE FRONT SEAT ON MY BASS BOAT

All seat bases are screwed to the deck. I think by this point you have twisted your butt off, soaked your boat in P-B blaster and wrote in. Now you will need to find the out line of the base in the floor. Use a razor knife to slit the carpet from the center of the post to a corner to create a flap. This will expose the screw heads. Hopefully they will come out. If not I hope you have access under the floor to grab the nuts. If not you will need to drill out the center of the screws to remove the base. Once you have it out, get a new one.

You might also look to see if there is a catch holding it in.