Southampton Boat Show
The Boat Show is barely three weeks away now (16-25 September) and we STILL need more volunteers to help on the stand, especially on the weekdays. PLEASE call David Salmon if you can offer any help at all: call 0870 241 2252 or email office@oytsouth.org.
Annual dinner
Tickets still available for this joint fundraising event for OYT South and two children’s hospices, to be held at the Royal Southern Yacht Club, Hamble, on Friday 16th Sept. Tickets £65 each. Guest speaker Sally Taylor from BBC South Today. Contact Chris Lane at chrisl.shse@virgin.net to book your place.
Adult voyages
Just two or three spaces left on our forthcoming adult voyages:
12-16 September, Southampton, £200
16-18 September, Southampton, £100
Email me or call 07986 354697 to find out more.
Bookings needed urgently
There are relatively few crew berths not filled over the rest of this season; but we desperately need more bookings for three trips in particular to make sure we don’t have to cancel anything: 10-14 Oct (£210); 15-20 Oct (£225) and 1-5 Nov (£160) – please spread the word among anyone aged 12-25 (individuals or groups) who might like to sail then.
Photos
I need to produce some material on this summer’s voyages, including the Tall Ships races, cruise in company and the voyages either side. I’d really appreciate more photos – please email them if possible!
Voyage news
Much enthusiasm from relief skipper Dave Carnson this week, offering poetic descriptions of another thoroughly enjoyable voyage. This is the annual trip with half the crew sponsored by marina company MDL, who year after year provide us with exceptionally deserving young people who put in huge efforts and make a lively contribution to the voyage.
They planned to sail to Ostend on the first full day but the forecast was for a bit too much wind for a long introductory passage, so they went to Ramsgate instead. The forecast turned out to be correct as this was a rough and seasick sort of a day.
The following day was similar but they were able to sail across to Breskens in Holland. After a few minutes looking for a berth in the harbour, relief bosun Ollie Watts came on deck and announced that the engine was very hot. Skipper Dave quickly put the boat on the nearest berth he could find and dived below with Gizmo to investigate the problem – to find that Ollie had, that morning, made the classic relief bosun’s error of not turning the seacock back on after cleaning out the raw water filter (which means no cooling water can reach the engine). No lasting harm was done and the engine cooled quickly once the seacock was open. I am assured that since then, Ollie has taken sufficient stick from his fellow sea-staff to ensure that he never repeats this mistake!
The following day the boat took full revenge on Ollie as they crossed to Flushing and headed up the canal to Middleburg: the heads (boat toilets) were blocked. Obviously it would be far too corny to make any kind of koke about things not flushing in Flushing, so I won’t. While everyone else enjoyed a pleasant trip, Ollie was stuck below trying to fix things. Unfortunately, he didn’t succeed, and Gizmo had to have a go. Even more unfortunately, she couldn’t fix it either; so skipper Dave had to spend time in Middleburg (“my favourite town”) staring down a toilet. Luckily for everyone, his advanced unblocking skills eventually saved the day!
The next stage of the trip, happily, proved entirely problem-free: a cruise in the inland waterways in glorious shorts-and-t-shirts weather, with perfectly flat seas to soothe the seasickness-sufferers. Dave says this was a really beautiful day and everyone had a fantastic time.
Back in Middleburg, they came across the Sea Cadet sail training vessel Royalist, a 29-metre square rigger. Royalist and John Laing headed down the canal together.
Next stop was Ostende, a really good sail with everyone now enjoying the sailing and getting the hang of what to do. They arrived at midday in time for a good run ashore and lots of Belgian chocolates. As evening drew on, they were all set for a relaxing night to be followed by a sail back to the UK in winds forecast to be around force 5 or 6. Dave went to the office to pay for the berth and arrange a time to get through the lock in the morning. “Have you seen the latest forecast?” they asked. It was for force 8 or 9.
There was nothing for it but to set off that night and get back before the bad weather struck. The last chance to get through the lock that evening was in 15 minutes’ time. Dave dashed back to the boat and told the crew. Within minutes, they were all on deck in oilskins and lifejackets, with sail covers off, halyards attached and everything ready to go. For a crew which had joined the boat just a few days earlier, the ability to get this organised so efficiently, with everyone working as a team, in such a short space of time was outstanding. Dave couldn’t speak highly enough of how well they had learned to do all these tasks and how cheerfully and effectively they were able to put their new skills into practice when the pressure was really on.
And it was all worthwhile, as they successfully completed the crossing before the bad weather hit. It turned out to be a fantastic passage in an easy breeze with clear stars followed by a great sunrise. They were safely anchored in the River Stour by the time the wind got stronger. The following day the voyage ended with a short passage up to Ipswich.
The sea staff said they would gladly have any of these crew members back to sail again, with at least one person clearly having the potential to become a relief bosun (and possibly remember to turn the seacock back on again).
Thanks once more to all the sea staff: skipper Dave, plus Dan Russell, Rob Butler, Julia Davies, Gizmo and Ollie.
Sea staff vacancies
First mates still needed for: 19-23 Sept; 24-30 Sept; 15-20 Oct; 1-5 Nov.
Second mate needed for: 26-31 Oct and 1-5 Nov.
Third mate berths currently all full, but if any 3Ms are desperate to sail I can make up a reserve list in case anyone else drops out.
Email me or call 07986 354697 if you can help!
Crew bookings
Current vacancies as follows:
JL05-40: 4 nights, 12-16 Sept, Southampton, £200 – a few spaces (adults 16+ only)
JL05-41: 2 nights, 16-18 Sept, Southampton, £100 – a few spaces (adults 16+ only)
JL05-42: 4 nights, 19-23 Sep, Southampton, £220 – 3 berths left
JL05-47: 4 nights, 10-14 Oct, Southampton, £210 – whole boat group booking available
JL05-48: 5 nights, 15-20 Oct, Southampton, £225 – 9 berths left
JL05-49: 4 nights, 21-25 Oct, Southampton, £200 – 6 berths left
JL05-51: 4 nights, 1-5 Nov, Southampton, £160 -11 berths left
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. Don’t forget the 2006 Tall Ships races to Spain and Portugal!
Dates for your diaries
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.
People News
Katrina Hollis, who sailed as crew from Portsmouth to Waterford this summer and then did the Tall Ships Race leg to Cherbourg, sent us the following excellent article which she wrote for her sailing club newsletter:
“I have just returned from one of the best and inspiring two weeks of my life. When I signed up to take part in the Tall Ships Race, with the Ocean Youth Trust, I had no idea what I had let myself in for. I had previously spent week on a yacht, but nothing that could prepare me for the initial 4 day non-stop crossing: a turbulent combination of seasickness, battling waves, and beautiful cold star lit nights, topped off with a sunset encounter with dolphins swimming along side us.
We arrived exhausted after our crossing, from Portsmouth to Waterford (Ireland), to be greeted by thousands of spectators. We were later joined by over a hundred other boats, from the Indonesian and Russian 5 masted square riggers (complete with sailors on the yards!) to small yachts. The atmosphere was alive and for 4 days we enjoyed live music, street festivals, parades, fireworks and crew activities with young people from around the world.
The Tall Ships Race set sail on the Saturday 9th July. Despite the lack of wind it was a breathtaking event, seeing hundreds of tall ships, sails filled, in every direction gliding across the turquoise sea towards the start line. After three frustrating sun baked days the race was cancelled; however, like everyone else I was stunned when that night I was thrown out of my bunk as the wind suddenly picked up and we streamed into Cherbourg – completing the first leg of the race.
Every bit of this trip was memorable; from the night we dressed up in oilskins to go to the fun fair; the parades of sail and the crew parties and foremost the race and meeting the diversity of people from all nationalities and backgrounds, united together by sailing, at this amazing event, one I definitely want to be a part of again!”
Thanks for that, Katrina – we really appreciate it! And we’d be delighted to receive more coontributions from other crew members.
Meanwhile, no sooner do we hear that Phoebe is coming back from New Zealand, than another second mate, Alice Poyner, decides to go out there! She’ll be working as a doctor in Christchurch Hospital for the next few months. We seem to be establishing a rule that there must be one OYT South second mate living in New Zealand at all times…wonder who’ll be next?
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.
Credit cards
Don’t forget the office can now take payments over the phone – just call 0870 241 2252 and have your credit card handy.