Newsletter
OYT South bulletin 14th May 2021
In this Bulletin
Sections which have changed since last time marked *
- * Wellbeing campaign - week 1: Connect with other people
- * Nightwatch – a short story by Jo Clark
- * Prolific news
- * Update on plans for the season
- * In this week in previous years
- * The history of the charity – episode 5: the Robert Clark ketches
- * Update on OYC founding vessel Theodora (now Kindly Light)
- * Financial appeal
- Painting of Prolific– prints available to buy!
- Trans Awareness – zoom session
- Online training courses for volunteers - safeguarding and more
- Passports – be prepared
- Raise funds for OYT South if you're shopping online!
- OYT South social media - please get involved
- Branded clothing
- Raise And Sail - website for anyone looking to raise money to come sailing
- New readers’ welcome and introduction
- Receiving this newsletter by email
* Wellbeing campaign - week 1: Connect with other people
With other members of UK Sail Training, OYT South is delighted to be taking part in the #SailToWellbeing campaign over the next five weeks, based on research promoted by the NHS and MIND covering five key steps you can take to improve your mental health and wellbeing. Every one of these five steps is a natural part of a sail training voyage: you really can #SailToWellbeing.
The steps are:
1: Connect with other people.
2: Be physically active
3. Take notice and pay attention to the present moment
4: Learn new skills
5. Give to others
So this week we want to hear your stories about how sailing with us helped you to connect with other people! We’ve already got some examples but we are looking for more. This is a campaign for young people, volunteers and staff; it’s for people who sailed with us in the 2010s but also those who were involved years ago – as far back as the 1960s. If you have been on a voyage and connected with anyone – a young crew member or one of the adult sea staff – in a way that made a positive difference to you, please tell us. You can respond to any of our social media posts, or if you prefer, you can email webmaster1@oytsouth.org and we can post something which won’t identify you. Maybe you have a photo which captures that connection with other people, maybe you have a story to tell, maybe you met someone years ago on board who remains important in your life today.
We all know how hard Covid-19 has hit many people’s mental health and wellbeing. Sail training offers a positive way forward: anyone who has sailed with us will have seen the five steps in action on board. Please help us to demonstrate to those who haven’t yet tried sail training that they too might be able to #SailToWellbeing.
Here are some examples of #SailToWellbeing 1: Connect with other people, to get you started:
Hillingdon’s Virtual School For Children In Care arranged a voyage for young people who were in care having arrived in the UK as refugees – one of the group had walked for three months on a journey from Syria to the UK at the age of 13. Someone who has lost their own family and home can be hugely affected by the atmosphere on board: a 15-year old girl said: “My best bit was how we all just got on like a family, like how we didn’t know any of us, we didn’t know each other at the beginning but as the week went on we all just basically was like a big family”.
Jack Dignan was born unable to see out of his left eye and, aged 17, sailed with a group from MACS, the charity for children born without eyes or with underdeveloped eyes. He was later chosen to give a speech in front of an audience of dignitaries - including HRH the Countess of Wessex - during the Tall Ships festival in Greenwich. An extract:
Naomi House Children's Hospice used voyages to build connections between young people who have a sibling with a life-limiting condition, or who have already lost a brother or sister. Support worker Jenny Astall said: "Having a brother or sister with a life limiting condition puts them in a more vulnerable position than their peers. They often don’t get the same opportunities as their friends due to the complex needs of their sibling, so having this chance to have a week away with other young people in similar situations can relieve the isolation they may feel, give them time to share their experiences and to make new friends." One teenager added: “Usually I am shy when I first meet people, mainly because I dread when they are going to ask how many brothers and sisters I have. Being in the same situation as everyone else helped me to feel more at ease and happier.”
Outdoor Lads is a charity which enables gay, bisexual and trans men to take part in outdoor activities. One participant commented: “I think the nicest part of this week is seeing how everyone has gelled and working in teams and it’s a really satisfying thing to think all the walks of life that we have in this room and everyone’s come together on this experience and I think it’s been amazing.”
This message was received in 2016 from a man in his fifties about a voyage he did with us as a teenager in 1979: "For me, not coming from any sort of nautical background, it provided a complete change from my normal environment, which was exactly what I needed following my mum’s death whilst I was only just 17. I found I had time to reflect especially when I was on the night watch and each of the adult crew was approachable. Not like teachers, more like much older siblings. I had a little tearful moment one morning, it was only a few weeks after she had gone so emotions were raw. One of the crew members noticed. Quietly went and made a couple of cups of tea. And didn't say anything directly but just stayed with me for a while drinking his tea. And I got through that moment and felt better. It was the year of the Fastnet disaster when a massive storm cost several lives and we were outside the harbour unable to enter until the waves died down a bit. And for a lad who was even a little uncomfortable on a cross channel ferry, I have to say I was one of the only crew that wasn't sick that night. Everything seemed safe - we had lines to secure us in the event of being swept overboard, and I seem to remember I was positioned as a lookout at the front of the boat being hit by the spray from the waves, and I found it exhilarating. I've never had a problem with nervousness since that experience. Now you're going to think I'm being a bit over dramatic, but I remember thinking I have survived the death of my parent which also meant losing my home and even my dog was given away, that I could deal with any troubles in life. The boat going up and down all over the place became a positive exciting experience, as I was able to rationalise that I'd taken all the safety precautions and our boat was if I remember 75' long and not some little dinghy. I went home feeling I’d grown up just that little bit more. Truthfully was the best experience at just the right time."
Please tell us how sail training has helped you connect with other people!
* Nightwatch – a short story by Jo Clark
To mark week 1 of our #SailToWellbeing campaign, here's a short story by Jo Clark on this week's theme, "Connect with other people":
Please do share your own stories - true or fiction!
* Prolific news
Not much to report this week as Josh and Georgia have been furloughed for a short period and Holly has been doing paperwork, ordering new items for the boat and generally getting things organised ahead of the staff and volunteer training voyages which should start later this month.
* Update on plans for the season
After all these months, it really is beginning to seem as though there is light at the end of the tunnel, as we put ourselves in a position to ensure that we can get back to running voyages again as soon as we can do so safely and within the guidelines.
Despite news headlines about a possible end to restrictions after 21st June, a lot of the small print seems to mention “with mitigations” or “with appropriate precautions”; but no official details have yet been published. At this stage, therefore, we are taking bookings for much smaller groups (usually 8 young people rather than 12 or 15) which would allow us to operate with much more space on board – for example, using alternate bunks rather than having people too close. These priority berths have virtually all been filled by clients who had voyages cancelled last year; and in most cases, group bookings will want to fill any extra spaces on their voyages if we are allowed to take more people.
This leaves the voyages open to individual bookings, where the initial 8 spaces have all been filled but we can have a reserve list of up to 7 more people in case we are allowed to increase the numbers. This decision may be made at short notice, but if you would like to reserve a place on the waiting list for one of these voyages, please email webmaster1@oytsouth.org:
18-23 July, 5 nights, starting and finishing Brixham, £505 per person
1-7 August, 6 nights, starting and finishing Brixham, £595 per person
8-14 August, 6 nights, Brixham to Southampton, £595 per person
21-26 August, 5 nights, Dartmouth to Poole, £505 per person
27 -31 August, 4 nights, Poole to Southampton, £405 per person
2-7 Sept, 5 nights, starting and finishing Southampton, £505 per person (age 16-25)
23-26 October, 3 nights, starting and finishing Southampton, £310 per person
* In this week in previous years
While the charity is unable to sail, it is good to keep reminding ourselves about the value of our charitable work, the life-changing experiences and fantastic fun and friendship on our voyages and at our vessel refits and other activities. If you have a treasured memory of sailing, working or volunteering with us, or a tale of a voyage you will never forget, or a funny story, please send it to webmaster1@oytsouth.org and we'll publish the best in future editions of this newsletter.
We have now completed a full twelve months of round-ups on what we would be doing this week in a normal year, so if you want to see what we are usually doing at the end of the second week of May, you can find it here. It’s a great reminder of how much effort so many people have put in over the years to ensure that we can keep helping young people develop the skills to succeed in life!
* The history of the charity –episode 5: the Robert Clark ketches
You can read episode 1, episode 2, episode 3, and episode 4 in previous newsletters, covering the idea that became the Ocean Youth Club, the stories of the founding vessels, Theodora and Duet, and the developments of the 1960s and 1970s. This week: the Robert Clark ketches. Thanks as ever to Emma Ellis for all the research from the 50th anniversary brochure.
Last week’s story of the 1970s described a series of launches of new Ocean Youth Club vessels at what seems like an extraordinary pace. This week we are going to describe in more detail the fleet of Robert Clark ketches which served the club so well from the early 1970s to the late 1990s.
Tom Cunliffe wrote this in Yachting Monthly in 1988:
The first OYC Robert Clark ketch to be built was Scott Bader. As the prototype, she was slower and slightly smaller (71’ 6”) than the subsequent builds (72’ 6”). The extra length produced more graceful lines and the OYC wanted the fleet to be identical, so Scott Bader was sold in 1972.
Falmouth Packet: Sir Max Aitken (1910 - 1985), later Lord Beaverbrook, was Director of the Express Group and Chairman of Beaverbrook Newspapers Ltd. In 1967 Express Newspapers acquired the Falmouth Packet series of newspapers, initially as a training ground for journalists needed on its national newspapers. Sir Max Aitken, a keen yachtsman, became a patron of OYC in 1970. In 1992 the Beaverbrook Foundation gave another substantial donation to the OYC, and Falmouth Packet was renamed Lady Beaverbrook because the Foundation no longer owned the Falmouth Packet newspapers.
Master Builder was named as a tribute to Norman Wates of Wates Ltd., whose ideals included the spirit of adventure and comradeship. In 1901 Edward and Arthur Wates, furniture sellers, decided to build houses. They saw that there was an alternative to badly designed Victorian terraces. Between then and World War II, the business became the second-largest house builder in the UK. During the war, Wates Ltd. developed a building method that became used worldwide, and adopted a distinct philosophy to care deeply for the welfare of employees and to improve conditions for site-workers.
Years later, the Wates Family Enterprise Trust made a generous donation to the Prolific Fund!
Sir Thomas Sopwith was named for Sir Thomas Sopwith CBE (1888 -1989), an English aviation pioneer and a celebrated yachtsman. Sopwith challenged for the America's Cup with Endeavour in 1934, and Endeavour II in 1937. Sopwith funded, organised and helmed the yachts. He did not win the Cup but he became a Cup legend by nearly winning it in 1934. The Sopwith family sponsored the building of Sir Thomas Sopwith for the Ocean Youth Club.
Taikoo was presented to OYC by John Swire and Sons Ltd., one of the ‘great Far-Eastern houses’ trading in Hong Kong, the Far-East and Australasia. The company had a long and historic association with the sea which began in 1867 during the very early days of trade with China. British goods were exported to China and Chinese tea imported to Britain. John Swire’s company grew rapidly and extended its roots within China and took the famous ‘Taikoo’ flag right into the heart of the country. The Swire group diversified and in 1901 the Taikoo Dockyard and Engineering Company was founded. It became one of the most highly regarded marine and industrial concerns in the Far East.
Samuel Whitbread was named for the businessman and philanthropist. In 1742 he established a brewery and ploughed all profit back into the business. He was elected an MP in 1768 and was reputedly the first man to bring the notoriety of the slave trade to the notice of William Pitt. His son, also called Samuel, inherited the business in 1796 and became an eloquent campaigner for the causes of liberty and peace, and against oppression and injustice. He was instrumental in many reforms to lessen the suffering of the poor. The business sponsored the building of OYC 4 in his name.
Francis Drake: When the City of London freed itself from feudal laws, it created Guilds for each trade with responsibility for fair dealing and the training of apprentices. Over eighty City Guilds have survived since medieval times and the Drapers Company is one of the largest. It is known to have existed since 1180. It gained its wealth from its successful members and invested in property and in charitable activities. The Drapers took a great interest in youth activities outside schools and enabled the purchase of Freemans Wharf for building the Robert Clark ketches. It also, in partnership with Rio Tinto Zinc, sponsored OYC 8 - which was named Francis Drake after the great Elizabethan admiral who was himself a freeman of the Company.
Scott Bader Commonwealth: Scott Bader Company Ltd was founded in 1920, and was named for its founder Ernest Bader and his wife’s maiden-name, Scott. It sold celluloid and introduced the UK to low-viscosity nitro-cellulose finishes, oil-soluble synthetic resins and unsaturated polyester resins. Scott Bader therefore played a leading role in shaping the history of the glass-fibre reinforced plastics industry. In 1951 a charitable trust was created called the Scott Bader Commonwealth Ltd. Ernest Bader and his family gave their shares to the new organisation so that the Scott Bader Commonwealth owned all the shares of the industrial company.
Arethusa/Spirit of Boadicea was built by OYC as Arethusa for Shaftesbury Homes and Arethusa, a charity founded in 1843 by William Williams, a solicitor's clerk who wanted to use education to break the cycle of deprivation and poverty among street children in London. Arethusa was built to replace an ex-naval vessel which had been used by the charity as a training ship for the children. She returned to the OYC as the Eastern area boat in 1983 and was renamed Spirit of Boadicea to represent her strong ties with East Anglia - Boadicea had fought to prevent East Anglia from being ruled by the Romans.
There will be more chapters of this history in future issues of this newsletter.
* Update on OYC founding vessel Theodora (now Kindly Light)
People reading about the Ocean Youth Club’s founding vessels in episode 2 of our history may be wondering what happened next with these fantastic vessels. Duet is still active in sail training, with the Cirdan Trust, but episode 2 ended with Theodora’s owner Malcom McKeand giving a talk about her restoration - including the return to her original name, Kindly Light - at our 50th anniversary event in 2010. This week we caught up with Malcolm to find out how things were going. It really has been the most enormous task, partly because she was in such a poor state when he bought her, but partly also because of the detail of Malcolm’s plans and vision for the boat.
In her days as a sail training vessel, Theodora had been converted to a yacht, a long way from her origins as a Bristol Channel pilot cutter. This was ideal for sail training as there was plenty for a crew of young people to do on board – lots of ropes to pull, lots of different ways for crew members to be actively involved. But as a pilot cutter, the opposite was true: she needed to be sailed by just two pilots because taking on a crew would have cost money – and of the two pilots, one might be asleep, or eating, or cooking, so the pilot on deck had to be able to manage the boat alone. This meant that pilot cutters were set up with some remarkable features which Malcolm wants to return to Kindly Light.
The boat had no engine, and not a single winch – only blocks and tackles. The rig was designed to be as simple as possible: one pole mast (no separate topmast); no bobstay, no whisker shrouds, no backstays (the mast was raked aft for this reason) – everything pared down to the minimum. The mainsail (925 square feet) could be reefed by one person alone using an Appledore roller reefing system – you could even reef on any point of sail, rather than having to come up to the wind. The main sheet was set up with a system which allowed you to gybe all standing, rather than having to sheet everything in to protect the mast and rig from the forces involved. All the headsail sheets were led aft to the cockpit so that the pilot on the helm could reach them easily. The bilge pump handle weas located so that you could pump with one hand, keeping the other hand on the tiller. And these pilot boats were the first vessels to have self-draining cockpits.
There are still a few pilot cutters actively sailing, but none is still set up in this way: the restored Kindly Light will be unique.
The work that has gone into this restoration is truly remarkable – for example, handmade blocks, including “sheaves made by a trumpet-maker from the Welsh mountains”:
And forging hooks for the new blocks:
This is Kindly Light's 12' punt Lead On under construction:
At one stage Malcolm had been hoping to sail this year; but a hip replacement last year caused a delay; and Cornwall’s hosting of the G7 summit is causing immense disruption to local facilities and services – among other things, the yard where the boat is normally lifted is becoming a G7 summit car park! However, you can see from these pictures how much progress is being made. Perhaps it is possible that in 2022, Kindly Light and Prolific might meet on the water?
* Financial appeal
Huge thanks this week to Samson Materials Handling Ltd and the Aumund Foundation for another very generous donation.
Big thanks also to
all our other supporters and friends who have responded with such kindness and generosity to our appeal over the last year. We are not thanking everyone individually in the bulletin only because quite a few people have asked to remain anonymous; but we are truly grateful to all of you. Everyone who has contributed and is still contributing is playing a huge part in getting us through this long period with no voyage income, and ensuring that the charity will be strong enough to do important work with young people who will need us more than ever, as soon as we can safely sail again.
See here for how to make a donation - you can contribute by cheque, phone or PayPal, but please do something if you possibly can. Don't forget that if you complete and return a Gift Aid form (pdf) we can claim back tax on your donation.
Painting of Prolific – prints available to buy!
We have recently been able to hand over Peta’s leaving present - a magnificent original painting by our friend, Gosport-based marine artist Colin Baxter. This is Prolific in one of Peta’s favourite places with details correct down to Peta herself in her distinctive yellow jumper.
Now that Peta has the original, we are delightedthat Colin is able to offer smaller prints for sale (unframed).
The prints will measure 370mm x 230mm plus border. They will be numbered and signed, and will cost £45 if you can pick yours up in Gosport, and £50 if you need it posted (they will probably come rolled in a cardboard tube). Order here:
Anyone outside the UK wanting to order a copy, please email us.
Trans Awareness – zoom session
On the evening of Wednesday 16th June at 1830, we will have a zoom session called Trans Awareness: The Basics, delivered by the charity Gendered Intelligence. This arises out of discussions at the volunteers' training weekend in February where a number of people said this was an area where they would be keen to learn more.
Increasing our knowledge of and language around gender will help us support young people (and each other) better and more confidently whenever this topic arises, importantly leading us to be a more trans-inclusive organisation.
The session will be 1hr45m long, with opportunities to ask questions too. If you haven’t already registered your interest, please email hollyvint@oytsouth.org.In recognition of the lack of voyage income for more than a year, we would encourage those who can afford it to make a voluntary donation toward the cost of the event using this link.
The session will:
- Explain what ‘trans’ means and describe the diversity of those who might use the term.
- Introduce key concepts crucial to understanding trans people
- List the main legislation relating to trans identities
- Outline ways an organisation can work towards being trans-inclusive
- Provide links to further resources and help
Gendered Intelligence says: “We are a trans led charity working directly with some 500 young trans and gender questioning people from diverse backgrounds across the course of a year, primarily through our youth groups and 1:1 mentoring services. Their experiences inform our wider work. All our trainers are professional trainers/facilitators who are also trans identified, and who have extensive grassroots trans-community experience.”
Online training courses for volunteers – safeguarding and more
If you know you have certificates which will expire this year (or have already expired), we have new EduCare licences available – if you would like one to complete your courses, either pay through the website link or get in touch with the office and we’ll talk you through what’s needed - we can tell you what’s expired and what’s still valid, and what dates apply. If would be great if everyone can
get on and ensure all qualifications are up to date so we don’t have to chase people for important pieces of paper at the last minute!
See previous issues of this newsletter for details of online RYA training which may be of interest.
Passports – be prepared
Since 1st January 2021, British passport holders travelling to the EU will need to ensure that on the day you travel, your passport has at least 6 months left, and it must also be less than 10 years old (even if it has 6 months or more left). If you’re planning to sail with us once we get up and running again, do make sure your passport is in order in case your voyage might be able to sail to France. We won’t be sailing outside the UK until the situation with Covid seems more secure, but it would be a shame to get to that point and then find a long wait as everyone else is suddenly needing to renew their passports too: you might find it convenient to get it renewed while travel isn’t possible so that you don’t have to send it off for renewal later on!
Raise funds for OYT South if you're shopping online!
"What a fool I was!" says Mark Todd.
"For ages I've seen in the bulletin that Easyfundraising is a good way to raise money for charity, but I never got round to doing anything about it, and when Caz told me how easy it was, I didn't listen.
I thought it might be a hassle, or that I'd have to remember to do something when I bought stuff online, or that it probably wasn't really worthwhile.
This week I finally got round to it and it turns out it's a REALLY EASY way to raise money for the charity I care about ... and I definitely should have done it sooner.
It takes a minute or two to sign up; you can do it on a desktop, tablet and/or phone, and you can install a widget that flags up when a donation is available. Once that's done, imagine you're looking to buy - say - a rainbow unicorn: just put "rainbow unicorn" in your usual search box, and the list of results shows you which sites come with donations, and how much. It's up to you what to pick and whether to accept the donation from the site, but a huge choice of sites will offer a donation - and it doesn't cost you a penny.
I don't know why I didn't do it sooner ... but if there's anyone else who has been like me and just not got round to it, PLEASE click the link now and sign up!"
OYT South is also registered with Amazon Smile which makes donations to us when people shop - Amazon will donate 0.5% of the net purchase price on eligible purchases. If you ever shop with Amazon, do have a look - once you pick Ocean Youth Trust South as your chosen charity and start using https://smile.amazon.co.uk, you don't need to do anything further, and all your other Amazon account settings remain unchanged.
OYT South social media – please get involved
One of the simplest ways you can help us while we can’t sail is to keep looking at our social media pages and share, retweet or like as many posts as possible. This all helps to make sure other people hear about us too – and the more we can keep alive the interest in our charitable work, the more people might help us now or start to think about sailing with us in future. Maybe you’ve got a community group, a local page, even a street WhatsApp where members might like to know that you are involved with a charity that could be of interest to them?
We are on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/oytsouth - please do give us a Like! If you were friends with John Laing on our old page (https://www.facebook.com/johnlaingsailing please do move to the new page now.
We are also on Twitter @oytsouth so please follow us!
And Instagram @oyt_south
And LinkedIn Ocean Youth Trust South
Please note that OYT South has a policy that our adult staff and volunteers should not make or accept individual online friend requests with crew members aged under 18, or vulnerable adults. Crew members can use the sites to stay in touch with the boat and with each other, but not with individual staff and volunteers.
Branded clothing
OYT South branded clothing available - please see here. You can buy hoodies (in a wide range of colours), fleeces, short- and long-sleeved t-shirts, baseball caps, beanie hats, polo shirts and more, all with OYT South's logo!
Raise And Sail - website for anyone looking to raise money to come sailing
Raise And Sail is a section of this website full of ideas, information and support for young people who would like to raise money in order to come sailing with us. Huge thanks to Fiona Keen and Emma Burrows for putting Raise And Sail together. We hope you will find it useful - let us know how you get on as we can add success stories and new ideas to the site in due course.
New readers' welcome and introduction
If you have recently registered your interest in OYT South, welcome to our newsletter, which is sent out almost every week, normally on a Friday, and is also copied onto the website.
If you have just started receiving this newsletter by email, it is because we believe you have signed up and consented to receive it - perhaps by emailing us to ask for it, completing a form on our website, or adding your email address to the book on board where people can sign up to receive news, as well as leaving comments. If this was a mistake or you simply decide you want to stop receiving the newsletter, just press “reply” to the email and write UNSUBSCRIBE at the top, or email webmaster1@oytsouth asking to unsubscribe.
Each week the newsletter includes a wide range of news from the boat and from the charity, including details of voyages available for young people; adult voyages; opportunities for adult volunteers both ashore and afloat, and much more. We find that while some people read the bulletin almost every week, many others dip in and out, and read it when it's convenient - which is why some items are repeated. New items are marked with an asterisk * so that if you did read it last week, you can see which sections you can safely skip.
Please feel free to join in any OYT South activities - nothing here is restricted to long-standing members or people who already know one another. New people are always very welcome!
If you need an introduction to the work of OYT South, you should find a lot of useful information on our website. But essentially, we are a registered charity (no. 1079959) which exists to offer adventure under sail as a personal development opportunity for young people aged 12-25, from the widest possible range of backgrounds. A high proportion of our young crew members are disadvantaged or deserving in some way: many of these sail in groups organised by other charities, youth clubs, special schools and so on, and will fill the bulk of our term-time voyages. But those from more fortunate backgrounds are also welcome to sail, either in groups or by coming as individuals on a mixed voyage. Every year we run a variety of shorter local voyages plus longer adventure trips - sometimes including Tall Ships races during the summer holidays. If you are aged 12-25 and hoping to sail as a crew member, take a look here - and this section is also useful for adults who are thinking of organising a voyage for a young person. Adults planning to organise a full group voyage should also see here. Adults who want to sail themselves should see here.
We have a professional staff skipper and engineer, but our watch leaders are normally all volunteers, who combine sailing skills with an interest in working with young people. You can find more information here - how the system works, how to join, and profiles of existing staff and volunteers.
To volunteer for OYT South ashore, please see here. To help with the vessel's annual refit, see here.
It is a very expensive business maintaining a boat, running an office and employing staff. If you want to help us, please become a member of OYT South. Or see here for information on making a donation.
If you have any questions, please do email - or contact the office.
Receiving this newsletter by email
Many thanks to all those who have given consent to receiving this newsletter by email. If you are not currently getting it by email and would like to, please just click here Newsletter Subscribe and press "send", or email webmaster1@oytsouth.org.
