Ollie: When I started this trip, I assumed that everyone would be a lot older than me and that everyone would be sailing experts, but luckily the crew I am with are my age and just as useless as me.

Our Skipper, Sue, and her team have transformed us from useless, to confident, sea-loving adults who know so much, from the basics of tying a knot to the more challenging tasks like setting up all three sails.

We are now sailing around the northern islands of Scotland and we’ve had an amazing journey. I’ve loved every second, but so far my favourite part has been standing on the bow of the boat and enjoying the ride as we crash through the big waves.

I’ve made many friends here, especially my watch team, which consists of me, Maddie and Phoebe. I can now say that I’m very close with my team after spending countless hours with them on four-hour watches.

Rebecca: When I first started out on this trip, I was very excited to try so many new things and meet so many nice, new people. We’ve all learnt a lot and now know the basics of sailing, such as tying knots and putting up sails.

The adults have also been so lovely and our watch team has had some pretty good conversations, keeping us all amused in the middle of the night.

So far, I’ve really enjoyed it, especially going onto land in Stornoway for a nice full cooked breakfast. I’ve also really enjoyed sleeping, when I can, as we’ve all worked so hard through the night.

I’ve made lots of new friends and we are all very close.

Elise and Kevin: We came on this trip not knowing what to expect and feeling slightly worried due to the fear of the unknown. Throughout the last couple of days (and nights),  we’ve turned ourselves into confident crew members, always willing to help out and explore our own unique and different boundaries.

Though we are all completely different individuals with different backgrounds, the common search for freedom brought us all together. Waking up seeing and dolphins in the water as we sail the north of Scotland is something that we will forever remember.

Despite not knowing each other, I feel like this challenging, but definitely earned trip, has shown us that no matter the risks or obstacles you face, if you put the effort in you will succeed. As I type this, we’re currently turning the corner of mainland Scotland, before heading onto the Orkney Islands. 😊

James: When we started this trip, I had no idea of the adventure that was awaiting us. We all entered the cramped space of the boat very much as strangers. We had to get on from the beginning, but we all managed to do it very well.

We have all shared experiences that we would never have had done if we didn’t come on this voyage. We have had laughs and some more serious moments, but it has all been worth it to end up where we are today.

We have had great mentors along the way and this was very welcomed, since none of us knew how to sail when we started. Over the last few days they have turned us into competent crew members, who are willing to tackle anything that comes our way.

Maddie and Phoebe: Our voyage started off in Greenock, where we joined the boat as complete strangers, not knowing what awaited us. We are now five days in to our adventure and we have made lifelong friends and memories.

We thought spending all day and night with the same people would drive us crazy, but it’s been the complete opposite. During night watches we have entertained ourselves with endless games and chats.

Our favourite part of the trip so far is when we are on night watch and we’re stocked up on snacks and get the giggles with all the crew. Amongst the delirium, we still manage to rock the tunes and karaoke. We’re not ready for it to end and go back to reality on the mainland.