Last month Boleh reconnected with the Devon Army Cadet Force, embarking Cadets and their Instructor for the Unit’s Summer Camp. Jon Clare and Andy Pritchard, our volunteer Skipper and Mate, delivered a ‘fantastic’ adventure for the Cadets, covering the RYA Competent Crew course syllabus. With the Solent alive with Cowes Week activity, Admiral’s Cup races and yachts gathering for the Fastnet, Boleh ranged at up to 7.5 knots from Portsmouth to Lymington via Cowes, Osborne Bay and Southampton!
The Cadets had to learn all the essentials of sailing Boleh, throwing themselves into every challenge with true Boleh ‘can-do’ spirit. Emergency procedures, man overboard drills, using the liferaft, knot-tying, navigation, anchoring, sail hoisting and reefing, helming and rowing the tender to shore were all taken in their stride. All this while adapting to life onboard and cooking tasty meals for the crew. Picture shows the candidates with their RYA Competent Crew Certificates on successful completion of the course.
Jon and Andy were delighted to buy an end of course meal in Cowes for the team at the Folly Inn. Their verdict: “It was a fantastic week, amongst the best. The Cadets were all brilliant and definitely lived up to Boleh’s ‘can-do’ motto, with their willingness to engage and learn. They just got on with it, even tasks such as cooking and cleaning.” Congratulations to the Cadets and our thanks to the funders and all those who made this success story possible.
