Challenger 2 – Exploration Voyage – Age 16-25 – CF702
This week we have a group of 16-25 year-olds on board Challenger 2 for a five-day Voyage of Exploration. Read all about their adventure via their daily blog!
Day 1
Sunday 18 February
Today we boarded the sailing vessel Challenger 2. We started off by introducing ourselves to each other, discovering we held much in common, such as our shared goal to achieve our Gold DofE Residential section.
Afterwards, our capable Skipper, Mate and Watch Leaders demonstrated the all the safety procedures aboard the vessel. We then departed Portsmouth Harbour (Gunwharf Quays) at around 1600 hours, using the fenders to prevent collision with nearby vessels, and sailing due west towards Cowes.
Whilst at sea, we took in the gorgeous views, unpacked our belongings and familiarised ourselves with the surroundings. Several crew members even took turns helming the vessel.
After mooring in Cowes, the Starboard Watch prepared a delicious dinner of chilli con carne for the entire crew, which was enjoyed heartily. Following the meal, the Port Watch did the washing-up, and we (the Starboard Watch) took the time to fill out this initial blog entry.
Thanks for reading! We hope you had as much fun reading about our adventures as we did taking part in them!
Written by: Ben, James, Holly and Finn (Starboard Watch!)
Day 2
Monday 19 February
Today we woke up at 7am to embark on our first day of sailing fuelled by a great bowl of cereal!
We set sail at nine o’clock in order to clear through the Needles Channel before the tides change. We had an amazing view of the Needles; James took many photographs. The bumpy seas were a fun ride for some, whilst others less *cough cough* Holly. During the voyage we learnt many knots: bowline, reef knot, and clove hitch, with more to come. We also explored the experience of hoisting the sails which was quite difficult and putting them away which was even more so.
We went through dolphin territory (we didn’t see any). When the sails went up, the boat tilted making it very hard to stay on so we learned the importance of safety harnesses and learnt the term jackstay. We also began to go through the content for RYA Start Yachting – hopefully we will achieve this by the end of our voyage.
We arrived at our destination which was Poole and put the boat to bed. Dinner was good – we now hate baked beans due to washing up lunch so we were pleased none were present for dinner. We cooked chicken and chorizo stew with a side of mashed potato and GREEN beans. We explored Poole and ventured into Tesco Express.
What will tomorrow have in store? To be continued…
Written by: Matthew, Kieran, Alice and Sarah (Port Watch! :O)
Day 3
Tuesday 20 February
Hi blog, us again (Starboard Watch).
Today we woke up and enjoyed a scrumptious breakfast of croissants. Did you know golden syrup tastes delectable on a fluffy temperate croissant? After our exciting discovery we got the boat ready and set sail.
The weather was a bit grey but cleared up throughout the day. On our long and arduous journey back to Portsmouth we ate tasty tortellini, admiring the beautiful vista of Osborne house . We travelled downwind partly by sail and partly by our determined diesel engine. As we gently positioned our fashionable frigate we were sprung upon by a Spanish warship (nobody expects the Spanish inquisition with their three to four weapons) and a hovercraft (probably British possibly French but lacking croissants). After this we docked at Portsmouth and tied up at the dock.
Finally to end our dashingly daring day of do-gooding we made a spag bol with an interestingly silky smooth consistency and an even more fascinating taste. Then we took time away from our busy schedule to tell you all about it.
We hope you had as much fun reading about our adventures as we had partaking in them.
By Starboard Watch James, Ben, Holly, and Finn
Day 4
Wednesday 21 February
We had an early start today due to the difficult breakfast of bacon butties and needing to fry around 36 rashers of bacon.
The gale force was 9 so as an alternative we visited the historical dockyard to view the wreck of the Mary Rose. It was an immersive and highly educational experience.
Afterwards, we wandered around Gunwharf Quays and visited the shops: Haribo, Cadbury, Lindt, and, of course, Tesco Express.
For dinner, we had beef and peanut butter stew made by yours truly and later we look forward to a game of cards and watching Ben demolish an apple in 3 bites (his record is four since yesterday – Matthew wished for it to be immortalised forevermore on the internet).
At dinner, the topic of conversation became very pretentious with the discussion of the translation of Shakespeare into the French vernacular, specifically, the marvellous monologue of the fair prince of Verona.
Written by: Sarah, Matthew, Alice and Kieran (Port Watch)
