On the 6th August 2010 eleven cadets and two staff joined the Ocean Youth Trust (OYT) Scotland challenge vessel ‘Alba Endeavour’ for the start of an exciting adventure which would take them across the North Sea into the Fjords of Norway and back through stormy conditions to Edinburgh.
Often the question is asked ‘What are Air Cadets doing at sea?’ The answer is, of course, that the ACO provides a wide range of adventure training activities from which our cadets can develop their leadership, teamwork and personal skills. On this occasion, the latest in a series of annual voyages run in partnership with OYT Scotland, the purpose was also to take some of our most experienced and qualified over 18 year old cadets out of their comfort zone and into the unknown; to test their ability to adapt and cope in a challenging situation, amongst their peers working as equals. Rank has no place on board a yacht ploughing through a North Sea storm; each person earns their respect and position through hard work and determination and by the support they give to their team-mates. It’s a tough test and the cadets were pushed hard to challenge their limits.
The results were outstanding; sailing straight out of Inverness into hostile waters on course for Norway the cadets began to ‘learn the ropes’ under the watchful eyes of the experienced OYT skipper and his crew. Despite the pounding waves, the constant rolling of the boat and bouts of sea-sickness, our determined band of cadets took the task firmly by the scruff of the neck. By the end of the 48 hour crossing, working in two three-hour watches with never more than a couple of hours sleep between shifts, they had mastered all the skills necessary to steer the vessel safely and proudly into the port of Stavanger.
After a brief time to recover and a chance to visit the town, Alba Endeavour sailed into the spectacular scenery of the Norwegian Fjords making the most of the opportunity to anchor overnight in a remote bay and to take an unconventional shower by driving the bow of the boat into a waterfall tumbling down the sheer face of the cliffs from high above.
The voyage home to the port of Leith was completed in 36hours, the crew competently dealing with force-seven winds and stormy seas, navigating between oil platforms and fishing vessels, needing nothing more than light-touch supervision from the Skipper and his team.
Throughout the voyage the attitude and enthusiasm of the cadet participants was exemplary; they were a credit to our organisation. Their achievements were marked not only by their willingness to ‘get-stuck-in’ to all the tasks on board, such as cleaning, cooking and taking care of the boat, but also by the energy, spirit and sense of humour they showed when they were singing and dancing during long arduous watches in the middle of the North Sea and their Scottish dancing display on the quayside in Stavanger!
Reflecting on their experiences towards the end of the voyage this is what some of the cadets had to say:
“Wow! I’m not really sure how to describe this trip with Ocean Youth Trust Scotland…. nothing I have ever done has compared to the experiences I have had on this trip.” Cdt Cpl Ian McDougal, 2463 (Curry & Balerno) Sqn.
“I was really excited about the trip but it turned out to be more incredible than I had imagined. The highlights were waking up in the stunning Norwegian Fjords and sailing with a dozen dolphin playing around the boat.” CWO Ellie Nicholls, 2516 (Droitwich) Sqn.
“The first day across the North Sea was really tough. The trip back was harder going with rough seas, however steering the boat was great fun! I’ve made many great friends and would definitely recommend the OYT sailing expedition to everyone!” Cdt Sgt Daniel Clapham, 2326 (Clay Cross) Sqn.
“The whole expedition was fantastic and a great opportunity to do something different. We started out as 11 strangers and ended up working as a team – great stuff!” Cdt F/Sgt Rebecca Bell, 247 (Ashton) Sqn.
Inspirational comments indeed and you could be forgiven for thinking that only the fittest and most able cadets would be cut-out to take part. However, Cdt F/Sgt Adam Layer from 1101 (Kettering) Sqn is an incredibly motivated young man and has these words of encouragement to those who might have to deal with a disability:
“I am a lower limb amputee, due to a birth deformity. This does sometimes cause me some issues…. however I was willing to take this challenge on and both OYT and the ATC were willing to allow me to do so.
Obviously things like climbing ladders, maintaining balance and ‘jumping’ into bed were things which could definitely have posed a problem…. Having been an amputee for so long I have learnt that there is nothing which cannot be done, it just has to be done differently. Where some people may jump into their bed, I used my arms to lift myself in.
Rough seas at night, when the cold and wet conditions caused my leg to change shape made it unsafe for me to run around the deck, however I still managed to play my part by operating one of the winches in the cockpit. I don’t feel that my leg stopped me in anyway, and it would seem that the rest of the crew all felt the same.
Douglas Bader, who is my biggest inspiration, once said, “a disabled person who fights back is not disabled…. but inspired”.
Our seafaring cadets are extremely grateful to all those who helped them to get involved in such a rewarding and worthwhile activity. In particular they would like to thank Headquarters Air Cadets for organising the expedition, the skipper and crew of ‘Alba Endeavour’ and the staff at OYT Scotland for providing their resources and expertise together with the Ulysses Trust and the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust for their generous financial support.
Sqn Ldr Mike Blakey, RAFVR(T), HQAC.