Overseas crew members
Don’t forget we have bursary funding available for overseas crew members on the voyage from 3rd-8th September this year. The trip would normally cost £350 (around 510 euros) but thanks to a donation we are able to offer it at the very special price of £150 (around 218 euros). Do you know any young people from elsewhere in the EU (including the Republic of Ireland – this is not exclusively a foreign-language trip)? Remember our upper age limit is 25 so, if you work for a company which has overseas offices, do you have young staff who might be interested? The crew members must be of non-UK nationality; but they might be living or working here. Does anyone know a student, or someone at a language school, or even an au pair who might like a cheap holiday? Please email me with any ideas.
Short notice sailing opportunity
Sea staff member Jo Treverton has hired a Westerly Fulmar 33 to do the skippered passages she needs to complete for her RYA qualification, and she has two vacancies for adult crew members. It’s 17-22 June, £61 per person plus share food and mooring costs. Contact Wolf on 07771 771864.
International Festival of the Sea (IFOS)
Thurs 30th June – Sun 3rd July: We still need more volunteers for the OYT South stand at IFOS in Portsmouth, especially on the Friday and over the weekend. Phone David Salmon NOW if you can help, or it may be too late to arrange security passes: 0870 241 2252.
Voyage news
Last week’s voyage with the Lancing Youth Centre crew ended on Saturday in Poole. It was quite a tough voyage for everyone, with the Weymouth-Brixham leg in particular confronting some of the crew members with more of a challenge than they had expected. However, lots of RYA Start Yachting certificates were earned. Thanks to the sea staff on this trip: Wolf, Graeme Cole, Trevor Hewson, bosun Bridget (who has now gone back to France to teach dinghy sailing), and special congratulations to Tom Hughes, who passed his third mate’s assessment and had several sections of his second mate’s assessment signed off into the bargain.
The weekend brought a lot of sea staff down to the boat, as there was a maintenance day on Sunday. Steve and Cathy Lacey, Alice Poyner, Julia Davies, Andy Haynes, Dave Blogg, Gizmo, Wolf and Caz between them did a great deal of useful work on the boat despite very wet weather which saw off most of the on-deck jobs list (though Steve and Cathy obviously enjoyed servicing winches while wearing full oilskins). Relief skippers Dave Carnson and Rob Purkiss also came to visit and a sociable time was had by all.
This week has been a mixed crew, including a group from Stanbridge Earls school; two from a youth organisation in Guernsey; and a couple of individuals. Another demanding trip has taken the team from Poole to Brixham (again) but then on to Dartmouth for the first time this season, before coming back to Weymouth. The Poole to Brixham leg saw the cruising chute hoisted in glorious sunshine, but sadly this was not enough to keep seasickness at bay, as the vomit production factory went into overdrive. Another testing voyage for sea staff Wolf, Martin Skipper, Tom Kemp, John Snowden and Gizmo, who are all working extremely hard.
Sea staff vacancies
As I’ll be away for part of the summer doing a couple of legs of Tall Ships, I’d really like to get the September staffing sorted out before I go! Can anyone help?
First mates still needed for: 26 Aug-2 Sept; 3-9 Sept; 12-16 Sept; 19-23 Sept; 24-30 Sept; 10-14 Oct; 15-20 Oct; 21-25 Oct; 26-31 Oct; 1-5 Nov.
Second mates needed for: 10-11 Sept; 2-7 Oct; 26-31 Oct; 1-5 Nov. I’ve had a few enquiries about these trips but we need to start getting a few things firmed up.
Very few options left for the third mate’s berth; but one assessment has just been cancelled, leaving a space 21-25 Oct – does anyone desperately want it? Assessment candidates (new to 3M, or 3M to 2M) might get priority here; but we might be assessing a first mate at the time, in which case it would be better to have an established third mate. If you’re keen to do this trip, let me know, and I’ll confirm when I know what’s happening.
We still have spaces for sea staff and prospective sea staff on a familiarisation (or re-familiarisation) voyage 12-16 September (£200); and there are also a very few spaces on the mates’ training weekend 16-18 Sept (£100). Can I strongly encourage anyone who is new to OYT South, or a bit rusty, or looking to improve in any way, to consider coming on the familiarisation voyage? It’s the ideal way to get an intensive course in what our sea staff should be doing on the boat; and it’s the people who do one of these two trips who will be in pole position to be offered assessment berths in the first half of 2006.
Please email me or call 07986 354697 if you want to do any of these voyages.
Future crew bookings
Apart from the call for overseas crew members on JL05-37, we still have spaces on the following voyages:
JL05-30: 10 nights, 16-26 Jul, Cherbourg to Newcastle, £600
JL05-31: 9 nights, 27 Jul – 5 Aug, Newcastle to Fredrikstad, £585
JL05-32: 4 nights, 6-10 Aug, Fredrikstad to Bremerhaven, £260
JL05-34: 5 nights, 12-17 Aug, Bremerhaven to Ipswich, £325
JL05-42: 4 nights, 19-23 Sep, Southampton, £220
JL05-47: 4 nights, 10-14 Oct, Southampton, £210 (whole boat group booking available)
JL05-48: 5 nights, 15-20 Oct, Southampton, £225 (whole boat group booking available)
JL05-49: 4 nights, 21-25 Oct, Southampton, £200
JL05-51: 4 nights, 1-5 Nov, Southampton, £160
We haven’t cancelled any trips for lack of bookings so far this year, which is outstanding – in previous years we have always struggled during the exam season. If we could get to the end of the year having sailed every single voyage, it would be a huge achievement, so do please spread the word amongst friends, colleagues and other contacts.
For information on latest vacancies, please contact the office on 0870 241 2252, or email office@oytsouth.org.
We are now taking bookings on the 2006 programme, also available from the office, or on the website at www.oytsouth.org.
Fundraising news
Many thanks to the Chloride Group plc for their donation to pay for new domestic batteries for the boat – and thanks to Neil Fairbrother for arranging it.
People news
You may recall that Rob Harwood, studying volcanoes in Mexico, has been emailing us photos of impressive volcanic activity. Matt Bland then decided to cap this by sending in a picture of himself in merchant navy uniform in front of an even more spectacular display in New Guinea. Any other entries for the “Me and my volcano” competition will be gratefully received, but remember, boys, there’s more to life than the size of your eruption.
Talking about OYT South in a bar this week (as you do), I was tapped on the shoulder by a gentleman named Jack Orr, who used to be a member of sea staff when John Laing was new, but sadly had to give it up when he reached the age of 70. Now 82, he is still sailing in smaller yachts, but remembers his John Laing days with great pleasure. Most of his recollections involved being the only person not too seasick to cook. If his stories are true, the boat diet in those days consisted almost exclusively of sausages.
Dates for your diaries
Weds 29th June: John Laing maintenance day, Portsmouth (call Wolf 07771 771864).
Thurs 30th June – Sun 3rd July: IFOS, the International Festival of the Sea, in Portsmouth: volunteers needed on the OYT South stand for all four days, and to show visitors around John Laing on Thursday and Friday, before she sets sail for Waterford.
Thurs 11th August: John Laing maintenance day in Bremerhaven.
10th and 11th September: More John Laing Open Days.
Friday 16th Sept: OYT South annual dinner, Royal Southern YC, Hamble, held jointly with two local children’s hospices. Tickets £65 each.
16th – 25th September: Southampton Boat Show: volunteers needed for the OYT South stand.
Saturday 1st October: John Laing maintenance day, Southampton (call Wolf 07771 771864).
Saturday 5th November: End of season party and possible other weekend activities tbc. Individuals welcome aged 18+; crew members under 18 who have sailed this year and would like to keep in touch are welcome to come to the weekend with a parent or group leader.
For more information on any of this, email me or contact the office on 0870 241 2252, office@oytsouth.org.
Don’t forget the OYT South link to Amazon!
At the bottom of the OYT South home page (https://www.oytsouth.org/) is a link to Amazon. Use this link whenever you order anything from Amazon and they will give a percentage of the price to OYT South funds.