From the moment we boarded the boat, excitement struck us. The ocean salt hitting us like a wall, the boat slowly rocking from side-to-side, it was incredible! So complex, but so incredibly calming at the same time.

We settled in and claimed our kit, water proofs and life jackets, then our bunkers, mere inches from each other.

Once our bags were away, we soon got to work, after some necessary safety checks we were all assigned roles, one person helped to steer, a few of us tied the ropes in and ensured we stayed clear of other boats when setting sail.

Once we picked up some speed, we were away! Sitting down alongside crew mates, as the wind picked up we sailed away from shore.

After a little while, we split into two separate groups, Port watch and Starboard watch. Starboard watch were in charge of cooking and Port watch helped on deck.

Starboard watch prepared everybody’s tea, which was chicken fajitas, I’d say we smashed it!

After a quick clean-up, we had time to do a little exploring of the Isle of Wight coast. Before we knew it, it was lights out and time for bed.

We’re all excited for another full day of adventure tomorrow.

By Bailey​

The day started by us leaving the town of Cowes on the Isle of Wight. We then did a drill if someone fell off the boat.

The drill consisted of two people, the ‘drowner’ and the ‘rescuer’. The ‘drowner’ stood on the pontoon, while the ‘rescuer’ gets the emergency suit on and the ‘rescuer’ gets clipped on to the ‘drowner’ and we pulled the ‘drowner’ out of and from experience (it’s Jake) it is very uncomfortable.

Then we set sail for the Studland bay. We went through the ‘Needle straight’.  As we went to the bay we went through some choppy weather. With this, a lot of people became ill. We kept switching out who the person was controlling the boat. Bailey at the time got sick on his face from someone throwing up on the higher side of the boat!

We had to keep using a strategy called ‘tacking’ this is where you put one rope on winches. We then had to let go of one and get it down to one rope, the other you had to put at three and then pull it to allow the boat to change directions.

We then headed for the bay where we are staying for the night. We did a bunch of activities on the boat like ‘Man over Board’ training in the water. It was the same as the training Jake and Bailey did on the pontoon at the start of the day but with a buoy supplied by the boat and actually in the water.

We had to lower the sails to turn back for the buoy and to get it back. We then used a boat rod to get the buoy back (if it was an actual person the process would be as Jake explained). Another one of these was climbing up the mast, the climbing was fun. However, I got nervous so only went a little bit up and not the full way some other people went the full way though – 95ft!

Joshua B and Jake T.