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Chellenger 3 – Trailblazer

By Tall Ships - October 25th, 2019 | Posted in Voyager blogs No comments

Day One

12:45

Charlotte’s grandparents waved us off. Then we had multiple briefings about on board safety. For many of us it was a first time experience and things seemed to be going well. Then we put up sail Yankee 3 and learned how to use winches and tie coils. Whilst making dinner Louise had a first experience of raw meat and cut up some chicken with her bare hands! We also learned how to use boat toilets which was interesting and learned how to tie a clove hitch. The other thing is that if you want to make a cup of tea you have to offer everyone else one and then it takes a REALLY long time to make yourself a cup of tea because there are 17 people!

Tonight we have to learn to sleep with 4 other people in bunk beds.

Tomorrow will be a new exiting day…

Amelia & Charlotte – Starboard Watch

Day Two

Today port side work up early to wash and then make breakfast for everyone, we had cereal and toast. After eating we prepared the deck whilst starboard cleaned the living quarters. To prepare we undid the sails and tied them so they were ready to go. Then we went food shopping as each group are in charge of separate meals.

We got sailing just before lunch and everyone learnt new skills of how to hoist and secure the main sail. We had to work as a team to make this possible with sweaters working in pairs or threes to pull the sail up.

After the wonderful lunch prepared by starboard crew, we worked together to put the main sail up and it was very hard work!

We had a cracking sweet n sour for dinner and it went down very well with the rest of the crew 🙂

Day Three

Reflections….

 

There has been a lot off unconditional love from the crew and the people on the boat.

–Kila

This week has been filled with challenges, but the group have supported each other and gained a deeper respect for each individual abilities and strengths.  Thank you to all but a massive hug and thanks to Sophie for pulling this voyage together and her unbelievable motivation.

From this trip I have been able to be myself and speak freely as I feel surrounded by people I trust and it’s been amazing. We have all pushed each other to go out of our comfort zones and have been able to accomplish things we never thought we could. I really appreciate the crew and Sophie for letting this trip be possible. To some this trip in two words it would be family and unforgettable.     – Emily

 

The past 5 days have been absolutely amazing!! I’ve loved every single second of it, waking up to going to bed. Working as a team has never been so fun and it was lovely to see everyone grow in confidence and as people. Going on the journey with them and seeing some of the girls really challenge themselves and overcoming their fears has been really lovely.  The crew have all been so lovely and we’ve really become a family and formed friendships that I will always have. Seeing different sides of people as they’ve grown has to be one of the best things ever. Thank you so much to everyone who has made this experience happen and made it possible to have this much of an amazing time. I will never ever forget this!!! – Bethany 🙂

I have loved learning to sail, and going out on the sea. The volunteer crew are amazing. We have really developed as a team during this time. It was fun to learn something new, and I am sad to leave. I want to do more sailing. I will never forget this. The crew were really friendly, and helped/taught us so much.-Hannah

From this trip I have learnt that gradual baby steps can lead to one big steps in life and progress in any situation, e.g. today, 24th October 2019, as we group we were put in charge of planning the route we took, to actually hoisting up the sails, (I helmed the boat today). The lead up to this was all about making gradual baby steps in progress each day to reach your goal, and teaching yourself that actually you cannot expect yourself to be perfect in every situation that life may throw at you; but to be proud of what baby steps you have made each day. A huge thank you to the team and Sophie for offering me this amazing opportunity, and I would be delight if someday I was asked to come back as crew, thank you x –Charlotte

A ship in the harbour is safe, but that’s not what a ship was built for. Go Sailing!

I am blown away by this week! I need some time to process it properly, but I am going home tomorrow with a heart full of joy from what we experienced! We are different people to the ones who came onboard on Monday and this, for me, is what life is all about. Experiences that challenge and change us, feeling unconditional love and support from people around us and being given the opportunity to change and grow and figure stuff out. I will never forget the moments we shared from singing, star gazing, laughing, learning new skills, sharing hugs, tears and heartfelt moments. Thank you all for believing in my vision and coming on board in every way J Go forth and Blaze Trails! Love Sophie xxx

 

I’ve had an absolutely amazing time this week thanks to both the girls and the staff onboard – has been wonderful to experience so many new things and am very proud of the girls and what they’ve achieved this week individually and also as a team! It has been a fantastic adventure and I look forward to recommending as many people as possible experience something similar – Oli (Baz)

From this trip I have learnt a lot about self-acceptance, friendship but also that loads of people care for me and love me for who I am. It’s been a wonderful experience to see people come out of the shell and show there true personality and what their values and beliefs are. My favourite part from this trip has to be us as a group discussing how we are going to change the views on bullying and many other things and say that it is not right and we have to change that.-Megan

It’s hard to find the words to describe how this week has been for me, I came on Monday not knowing what to expect, it started off as us and them and now I feel like we are a family. Being surrounded by people with nothing but love in their hearts is the most spectacular experience of my life. My eyes have been opened and I finally realise that I have a purpose. I began this boat trip saying ‘I want to go home’, now I never want to leave, and that is the true feeling of purpose. – lou

I’ve had an amazing and memorable week that will stick with me forever. I can’t express how grateful I am to have experienced this opportunity. I want to say a huge thank you for all the support and effort which has gone into making this happen, without the crew it would not have been the same. At first, I thought it was just a regular trip, but it’s turned out to be an unforgettable journey that I’ve shared with people I can now call family.

-Shannon

This voyage has been one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I started this trip saying I would rather be on a cruise ship however, after experiencing what life is like on the Challenger 3 I wouldn’t wish for anything else! This trip has done so much for me and I now feel like a whole new person, I feel more confident with myself and have more appreciation for the people around me. I began this voyage as an individual and have left as part of a team who all have each other’s backs. Thank you everyone who gave me this opportunity – Grace

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