All nine of us arrived at Portsmouth at around 2pm, much earlier than we expected. We were shown around the boat and taught the names of many components. This was exciting for new sailors and a nostalgic refresher for the more experienced crew members. We then had a discussion about our goals, mainly kindness towards each other, the rules of the boat and our plan for the next few days. The excitement for the journey ahead was growing. we kitted up in our lifejackets and readied the boat for departure. The excitement for the journey ahead was growing.

The initial section of the voyage was powered by the motor and, after a short while, we changed to the sail. It was very difficult to manage the boat with the sail, due to the wind. On our approach to Cowes Marina, the crew had to ready the fenders for docking. We eventually arrived and tied up the boat for the night. The Starboard Watch began to prepare the evening meal, Spaghetti Bolognese, and the crew ate the meal in the saloon. Throughout the day we were all filled with excitement. Everyone went to bed for half past 10 and were asleep soon after.

Daniel.​

Forthwith post-slumber, we arose at the eighth hour and had the pleasure of delving into a bowl of Cheerio’s and cornflakes. Verily, we then partook in learning the international regulations for the prevention of collisions at sea (or IRPCS for short). Perchance, we then began our voyage on course for Beaulieu River, owned by the glamorous and gracious Lord Montague. As we continued with our excursion, the hardships and toils of the journey soon blossomed, with us narrowly avoiding the consumption of undercooked chicken. However the lightning-fast reflexes of the First Mate saved us just in time. The strife of the journey proved too much for our friendly companion (a plastic ‘fender’ named Bob), who in a moment of impulsive aggression was launched over port-side by the First-Mate. Quickly realising the perils our friend Bob was in, the crew sprang into action for the rescue. Dropping the front sail in a manoeuvre called the “smoking drop”, whilst the remainder of the crew ascertained Bob’s consciousness, we masterfully span the vessel around to save our floatable friend. After escaping his impending doom, Bob was tied to the back of the boat in shame, to reflect on his actions. After this, a rallying game of cards to bolster our morale, the ship was set on course for the Beaulieu River. As we were travelling, the Skipper revealed to us a most splendiferous item, a shark’s tooth! Recovered on the local beachhead, this prized item was actually dated to approximately 48 million years old (almost as old as the skipper!). After Bob decided to launch himself (once again) off the edge of the ship, our reflexes, now trained to perfection, were quick to react in regards to this pressing situation. As we finally made our way to the River, we discovered that due to low tide, there were sands obscured with a small layer of water. However, some terribly unfortunate Frenchman had ran aground on a falling tide. After we shared our great sympathy with him for his tragic error, we made our way past him into harbour, finally settling down for the night with the knowledge we were not trapped on a sandbank. After a restless day, we lashed ourselves onto the pontoon, preparing for a delicious tea of Sausages, Mash, Peas, and a luxurious side of Onion Gravy.

James & Elizabeth

This morning we woke up and had our usual breakfast of cereal. We then took a trip to the nearby museum in Beaulieu which was incredibly interesting and informative, the gift shop in particular was 10/10. Later we then left Beaulieu River and made our way to Yarmouth. On our way, the wind increased considerably and the trip was rocky and very wet, we practiced our tacks and are now absolute pros. Shortly before we arrived at Yarmouth we saw a rower, rowing in the dangerous conditions and gave him a cheer! When we got to Yarmouth we had some free time, then Starboard watch cooked dinner which was Fajitas. The food was world class and we definitely have a few future Gordon Ramsey’s on board. We then practiced our knots and then chilled and went to bed.

Harry & Emily

The day started off with an early wake up call to loud rock music. After breakfast, we decided to go for a 3 mile bird-spotting walk, during which we applied our DofE map reading skills. As we returned to the boat, we prepared to bid farewell to Yarmouth, we then quickly readied ourselves for the high tide and strong winds. After sailing for a short while in the unpredictable conditions we were put into groups for team racing around a triangular course marked with yellow buoys. We were each assigned a key role in order to perform well, however, we had to stop short because of the extreme gusts of wind. We sailed into Lymington after the race stopped short and enjoyed some tea and biscuits. To finish part of our competent crew, we did a rowing race using the dingy at the back of our boat. Nearing the end of the day, we ate some amazing chilly and all each gave an interesting presentation on the aspects of boating.

Charles and Lucia​

Today, we woke up early and had breakfast. We needed to get out of Lymington early as to catch the high tide. As we left the pontoon (excellently done by Harry) we encountered some strong winds, so we made the decision to only put our genoa sail up. However although we only had one sail up we still managed to go pretty fast. As we travelled out into the Solent the Tenacity of Bolton started to wallow, this is where the boat tips from side to side almost like a pendulum. We then continued our course up past Cowes and dropped our anchor at Osbourne House (this was the house that Queen Victoria used to come and stay at). We then had our scrumptious bacon sandwiches with some crisps and fruit. After we tidied up we had some free time where we could chill or chat. After this we all sat down to learn some very important things about sailing at night and the different light patterns we need to look out for. We then had some spectacular mac & cheese. Next we plan to set sail in the dark and we are responsible for navigating around a planned course, in the dark, across massive shipping lanes, to Portsmouth where we will go to bed for some well-needed rest.

Isobel