Young People Enjoy a Sailing Adventure
We were delighted to be able to take a group of young people on a fantastic sailing adventure, thanks to generous funding from The Blagrave Trust and the expertise of the Tall Ships Youth Trust. The 5-day residential trip saw the young people learning seafaring skills, building their self-confidence and developing closer bonds with each other.
Accompanied by Step by Step staff and a crew from Tall Ships, the young people set off from Portsmouth, travelled to Weymouth, Poole and the Isle of Wight, before returning home. During the residential trip, the young people were tasked with cooking meals and keeping the ship clean. They were able to learn a variety of skills, including hoisting sails, tying ropes and using navigation charts. The skipper and her crew recounted tales from the sea, explaining what different coloured buoys indicated and how to dock the ship.
Lamb curry and bacon rolls were prepared in the ship's galley to teach cooking skills and fuel the intrepid travellers. All took part in exercises focused on building self-confidence and self-belief.
The young people also learned about the impact of plastic on the oceans, and saw the effects first-hand when they stopped at a beach to collect plastic waste.
Heavy fog delayed the journey at one point, but the ship made it back to port on schedule. The young people were tired from early mornings and sleeping in cramped bunks, but buoyed by an adventure most would not have had the opportunity to experience otherwise.
“The trip was very fun and allowed us to learn new things,” one of the young people said. “We also formed much stronger bonds. We would love to do something similar again.”
Everyone received a Royal Yachting Certificate and T-shirt to commemorate an unforgettable adventure.
