In July, ten cadets and two Cadet Force Adult Volunteers chartered the tall ship Challenger 2 from Belfast Marina in Northern Ireland. This endeavour was made possible through the generous support provided by the Ulysses Trust.
The 12 novice sailors and the 4 experienced crew of the challenger 2 set sail and conducted Activity training crossing the Irish sea to Tarbert in Scotland. The Aims of our Activity training was to encourage a pioneering spirit, resilience and to encourage teamwork. All 12 of our group had unique sailing experiences and completed their practical sailing course “start Yachting” and received certificates from the Royal Yachting Association.
Sailing is both a complex and challenging activity which requires teamwork, communication and personal will power to succeed. It was a totally new and alien environment for the cadets, and there was a certain amount of anxiety that all the beginners experienced and had to overcome.
The new crew members of “Challenger 2” successfully adapted to their roles, acquiring knowledge of the vessel’s layout, mastering the use of winches, and quickly familiarising themselves with essential sailing techniques. This rapid adjustment was supported by the experienced and qualified crew, who instilled confidence in the cadets and enabled the twelve novice sailors to effectively address any challenges encountered.
By the end of the week, each cadet was sailing the yacht under the skipper’s guidance, and all participants were operating effectively as teams.
The conditions presented significant challenges, including wind, heat, and limited space. These factors required us to demonstrate effective communication and teamwork while managing the controlled risks associated with climbing the 33-meter mast whilst docked in Campbelltown and scaling the spinnaker pole while sailing across the Irish Sea.
The passage across the North Channel of the Irish sea, visiting Tarbert and Campbelltown encompassed some 180 miles of voyaging.
The cadets enjoyed catering at a 45 degree angle while sailing, nights on the boat and trips ashore at the end of each day the local port was explored.
In addition to the sailing activities, participants observed remarkable sunrises and appreciated the natural beauty of the Scottish isles. Cadets enjoyed pristine anchorages and scenic landscapes previously unknown to them. Wildlife was notably abundant, with numerous sightings of seabird flocks and dolphin pods throughout the journey in and around the Irish Sea.
The Challenger 2 is part of a wider fleet based at Portsmouth and the Ocean Youth Trust provides safe and outstanding opportunities to get out on the water.
One of our cadets Charlie commented
“I have had a great experience onboard the tall ship. It’s a wonderful ship and a great 180 Mile trip was planned, and we visited all sorts of places that I didn’t know even existed! It’s probably the best thing I’ve ever done!”
Day 1 AHOY SHIPMATES!!
Today was the beginning of our Tall Ships adventure!
Ten Lisnagarvey Cadets and two staff, Dr McKinstry and Mr Cichy Have been selected for this 5-day sailing adventure.
We are all looking forward to a great week learning to sail the @Challenger2 yacht.
Today we learnt how to use the winches, foresails how to tac and jibe.
Today we sailed from Belfast to Bangor and tomorrow we hope to sail over to Campbeltown in Scotland.
Day 2 Tall Ships Youth Trust
On Tuesday, every single hand was required on deck to leave Bangor at 0600hrs as we had a challenging 70 mile journey ahead of us to Tarbert in Scotland.
The weather conditions were windy to start but calmer in the afternoon. A few of the boys had to find their sea legs and every single person rose to the challenge of sailing the boat across the Irish Sea.
The Skipper Terry showed the group how to navigate and use charts at sea and how to dead recon with the tides.
Lunch was ravioli and it was devoured by the hungry crew!
We were escorted by 3 dolphins for part of the journey and reached our destination by 1600hrs
This was followed by a walk around Tarbert and a chill out in the local park.
The cadets are cooking chicken curry for tea tonight.
Day 3 Tall Ship update
Challenger2 had another early start this morning with a fantastic breakfast of bacon butties!!
The deck was prepared and we left smoothly waving farewell to Tarbert Castle.
Then the team dressed in their pirate gear set sail South towards Campbeltown. Making plans of invading this quiet Scottish maritime village on the Kintyre Peninsula.
The wind was blowing and the 56 Ton yacht was easily propelled along with the engine turned off. The main sail, the Yankee sail and the stay sails were all hoisted. We made 8.5 knots!!
The cadets perfected how to ‘tack’ against the wind and sailed along with the strong breeze with ease!
lunch was pirate Panni’s which were eaten at quite an angle as we were heeled over on a long leg between tacks.
The cadets were then challenged to tie knots in competition and this was a test of their communication and teamwork!
A refreshing Evening’s walk around Campbell town was also enjoyed by the cadets and staff.
Tea was bangers and mash with a caramelised onion gravy.
Day 4 on the Challenger 2 Tall Ship
Day 4 on the Challenger 2 Tall Ship has started with a tasty pancake breakfast, and a session of team building as each section has hoisted each other up the 96 foot mast!
The cadets have set the main and hoisted the Yankee and stay sails successfully once again for the return leg of their epic journey back across the Irish Sea.
On leaving Campbelltown the fog enclosed around us. Sailing in mist / fog required extra caution due to the reduced visibility.
We took precautions, slowing down and organised the cadets into a proper lookout. The skipper used and explained his navigation tools like radar and AIS.
Lunch was jacket potatoes and after lunch the sun was shining. Dolphins appeared and the winds were light throughout the rest of the day.
Each cadet was challenged to climb the spinnaker pole which extended out over the ocean. They all rose to the challenge and were racing to the end of the pole!!
The voyage lasted all day and ended with the cadets docking in Belfast at 1930hrs in the evening.
Tea was chilli and rice. Once the meal was cleared up the ukulele appeared and songs were sung before getting a well deserved rest!
Day 5 – Our Final Day on the Challenger2 Tall Ship!
Today is the end of our adventurous 180 mile voyage and it has been an incredible memory making experience for all the cadets and staff.
I asked the cadets what they had gained from the trip:
James -This sailing trip has allowed me push my limits so much as I volunteered to go first to climb the 96 foot mast and to hang off the side of the boat on a winch to climb the spinnaker pole!
Jonathan -I experienced many things that I never had the chance to do before.
challenger2 is a working ship so you man the sails you are put in to watches each watch do cleaning and mess duties. I have made better friends, and we have a bond after seeing the sun rise, early morning sea fogs and dolphins together.Jonah -This sailing experience was a lot of fun because the staff were so friendly, and the cadets all got on well with each other. We all wanted to learn how to sail and we were given clear and easy instructions to follow. We travelled really far and everyone helped each other. Climbing the mast was a great challenge that u aced!
Frazer -I enjoyed all the aspects of sailing such a sweating ropes/hoisting, climbing the mast and the spinnaker pole. A Wonderful ship, a great crew who really looked after us first time sailors. I have learned a lot from these professionals!
Kyle -We got to learn so much about the boat, doing knots and how to sail. Thank-you for a fantastic voyage to Scotland from Belfast. I enjoyed seeing dolphins on the way to and from Scotland. It was an excellent experience.
Toby-What a blast! I conquered my fear of heights!! I was one of ten cadets that had never sailed before and we all got to try our hand at all parts of sailing on challenger2 which is an amazing vessel. We rigged the sails, took watch in the fog, were told how to navigate, manned the helm and cooked in the galley.
Seth -this trip on challenger2 has taught me the basics of how to sail but also taught me how to communicate better within my friends in cadets. What a great experience I had – this was the best thing I ever did! Awesome!!
Charlie-I have had a great experience onboard the tall ship. It’s a wonderful ship and a great 180 Mile trip was planned and we visited all sorts of off places that I didn’t know even existed! It’s probably the best thing I’ve ever done!
Danny-An Amazing experience! fun and interesting. Learnt new skills, visited new places and made new friends. My favourite part was jamming with Mr Cichy on the ukulele!!
