It began this morning, 11th October 2026, when we came to school with our bags. We entered Café Vert (the place near reception, just by the entrance) and waited for the minibus. The minibus came by the car park at the SSB gate, and all 12 of us (including Ms O’Sullivan and Alan, who drove us) got in the minibus, waving goodbye to our parents as we set off on our journey.

The engine started and our journey began. We all had so much fun playing games, laughing and talking with each other. We even crossed Tower Bridge and passed the Shard; it was such a sight to see! Eventually, we left London and went into the countryside. We saw farms, towns and hills, and at a service station, we even saw horses on a farm right beside it, which we took pictures of. Near the end of our bus ride, we saw the sea and the transition from countryside to the port.

When we arrived at Portsmouth, we walked through the mall and arrived at the harbour. We made our way to the Tall Ships boat, and we were welcomed by the wonderful crew members of Challenger 4. Additionally, we had a hearty conversation in the saloon about ourselves and our likes. We even talked about our favourite biscuits! In the saloon, we also had a variety of biscuits and treats to choose from, ranging from custard creams to rocky roads!

After that, we were assigned tasks on deck and instructed on what to do. We were able to do them quite easily, but only through the power of teamwork! After a few hours of chatting and helping with the ship, we finally set sail towards our destination of Cowes, taking almost two hours. But before ending the voyage for the day, we of course had to eat dinner!

We were told there were two groups on Challenger 4: the Reds and the Greens, our team being the Greens. We were tasked with cooking dinner: spaghetti bolognese with garlic bread and cheese. We grated cheese, baked garlic bread, and cut onions, carrots and peppers while the Reds helped the crew in the pouring rain. How lucky we were! Additionally, we served everyone the food, and it was absolutely delicious!

After everyone ate their dinner, we as the Greens were allowed to shower while the Reds cleaned the dishes, as they didn’t cook like us. We were sent to shower in the marina showers, in separate rooms for boys and girls, of course! The boys showered in room 2005 and the girls in room 2006.

After that, the Reds showered, and we got our waterproof clothes ready for tomorrow, giving us the opportunity and time to write this blog. The Reds will write the next blog tomorrow. Might as well sleep.

Good night,

The Greens.

We arose from our slumber, wiping the dust out of our eyes, the rays of sunlight beaming into our eye cones and irises. Straight away, we had to strap on our waterproof gear and set up the boat for today’s voyage. We laid the mouthwatering tray of pancakes into the hot, steaming oven. As soon as we finished, we set the sails and took off, and neither did we know we were about to face the most gruelling journey for our stomachs.

About an hour or so into our voyage, the ship swayed from side to side by about thirty degrees. The waves crashed ferociously against the sides of the boat, with constant swaying and water pelting down onto our faces. Nausea overtook the crew mates, and projectile vomiting became the order of the day on the boat. Groans of disgust also filled the air.

For what felt like eternity, we were sailing on the choppy water, exhausted, shivering and drenched in water. However, it was a challenge which we overcame with resilience as a team. It was definitely some character building.

Once we docked, we all went down to the galley to nourish our hunger and try to lighten up our moods. Eventually, it resulted in giggles and chatter. Due to the unfortunate events of vomiting and sadness, we were given takeaway for dinner and enjoyed our time as a team up on deck.

Overall, it was a hectic day full of chaos and laughter! Definitely a day we will look back on and joke about. Definitely something we will reminisce about. It was lush.

The Reds.

Just like the morning before, we woke up in our bunks at 7:30 am. We all went to the saloon and sorted UNO cards before having cereal and toast, with marmalade, butter and jam on offer.

After our hearty breakfasts, we started learning about knot-tying. We did a round turn and two half hitches, a clove hitch, a stopper knot and an OXO knot, which we did on deck.

After that, we searched for “Tacky Souvenirs” at three charity shops in Poole, which took roughly an hour. During that time, we visited a sweets and ice cream shop called Truly Scrumptious and the Poole Museum, as well as the charity shops, which gave absolutely brilliant bargains, such as Jane’s new £2 pure cashmere scarf and Kassia’s £15 Porsche miniature car. Riley even found a £1 black fedora, and Isaac pretended to be Michael Jackson with his skilful fedora tipping!

We then returned to the boat and ate lunch, which was Spanish omelettes with baked beans, but only for those who wanted baked beans. ◘

After that, we went to see the lifeboat station on the shore, where we had a talk from one of the volunteers and got to see their boats, which were named after the donors of the boats. The man told us that most of the lifeboat crew were volunteers and were meant to be on call 24/7, turning up when their pagers went off.

Nurses and doctors were exceptions to this, as their jobs were a bit more important for their patients than the potential MOB reported, which the other crew on duty would take care of.

On the way back to the boat, we returned to Truly Scrumptious, and Jane got all 10 of us free ice cream (most of us chose cookie dough). Thanks, Jane/Ms O’Sullivan!

After that, we went to Tesco and bought some ingredients for dinner, and some of us even bought snacks, drinks and some utilities we forgot to pack for the trip.

We went up to the cockpit, where Paul, the skipper, told us how to react in the emergency of a man overboard (when someone falls off the boat accidentally and potentially dies if no one helps them).

After that, we were given scenarios of how to act in that situation, with one needing two friends of the same gender to carry someone who was acting as a MOB, with the assistance of a rope.

Since then, we, the Greens, have been waiting in our bunks for the Reds to cook dinner, which is beef stew and dumplings. We had our dinner and then washed up after them before going for showers.

We then presented our Tacky Souvenirs to Ms O’Sullivan and Paul, the skipper, before having a karaoke session.

The Greens

Contributors: Isaac, Abdullah