News

Astute Electronics were lucky winners in MBDA’s Defence Industry 2019 charity auction for Armed Forces charities.

Their prize, donated by the Boleh Trust, a day at sea in the iconic junk yacht Boleh.

Though delayed by Covid, the prize was clearly worth the wait.  Thanks to volunteer skipper Jonathan Clare and Mate Glenn Upton the Astute Marketing team reported a day in the sun with ‘so much fun and a history lesson too’.

The picture shows the Astute team enjoying their day on the water with HMS Prince of Wales in the background.

Day sails in Boleh for Portland Schools start with a Safety and Covid security brief.  Picture shows students from week 2 of our programme being briefed by Volunteer Skipper Chris O’Connell with Halcyon Mate, Glenn Upton ready to demonstrate the lifejackets laid out on the cabin top.  While onboard, students help hoist sails, take the tiller under sail and power, learn some sailors knots and are introduced to the effects of wind and tide.

With the added help of fair weather, dolphin sightings and close ups with square riggers and massive cruise liners in Weymouth Bay, feed-back from Boleh’s Portland deployment has been very positive.  Boleh is now back in Haslar with an eye on next month’s adventure, Covid permitting, the ASTO ‘Mayflower 400’ Race to Dartmouth with Army Cadets embarked.

We’re thrilled to report a successful and largely sunny first week for our Portland Schools programme.  Students from Dorset Studio and Wey Valley schools have been able to swap their classrooms in exchange for a day on the water with Boleh.  The Trust’s decision to press on despite Covid restrictions has paid off and Boleh, for the first time since 2019, is back teaching children about the sea.

This has been achieved thanks to the Chesil Sailing Trust whose ‘sail-for-a-fiver’ scheme sponsors this Boleh programme.  We also appreciate the effort required from Schools to arrange these opportunities for their students while complying with Covid protocols.  Picture shows one happy student enjoying her ‘trick’ at the helm with John Tweed, Chair of the Chesil Trust, instructing.

We’re happy to say Boleh enjoyed a spot of fine weather and a cracking sail last week.  Volunteer Skipper and Trustee Simon Springett took advantage of favourable winds to stop off at Lulworth Cove on passage to Portland.  Picture shows Boleh at anchor against a backdrop of Dorset cliffs, with bathing ladder down for what turned out to be a bracing swim! Now alongside in Portland Marina, Boleh will be sailing local schoolchildren for the next fortnight.

Boleh’s ‘refresher’ programme for Skippers and Mates concluded with a day in the sunshine for the Managing Director of our partner organisation, Halcyon Yachts.  Picture shows Pete (right) with our lead volunteer skipper, Richard, proving that Summer has arrived.  We hope Boleh will continue to have fair winds for her Portland Schools programme this week.

Once again we’ve signed up Halcyon Yachts Ltd to help deliver Boleh’s charitable sailing programme for the Season ahead.  Under MD Pete Green’s direction, Halcyon will provide yacht management and crewing services to support our team of volunteers.  Pete himself is an experienced Boleh Skipper and any of his crew charged with Boleh are similarly qualified and inducted in to the mysteries of this unique historic vessel.  Both parties are now looking forward to a successful sixth year of working together.

Worried that last year’s severely restricted sailing programme left volunteers with rusty Boleh skills, lead Skipper, Richard Metcalfe, ran a refresher programme for them last week. Despite boisterous weather in the Solent, we’re delighted to say there was an excellent turn-out of Skippers and Mates who were also introduced to Boleh’s updated systems.  Picture shows volunteer Skipper Chris O’Connell at the helm in the calmer conditions of Portsmouth Harbour, with volunteer Mates David Critchley and Bruce Snelling in the cockpit.  Now, we hope, for the Season ahead . . . . !

We’re delighted to say Boleh is back alongside in Haslar Marina after her winter refit at Birdham Pool in the skilled hands of Tim Gilmore and team.  Key elements of the work programme were a brand new Fischer Panda generator and complete refurbishment of Boleh’s unique quadruped masts.  Thanks to generous donors and amazing volunteers, Boleh is now once again ‘fit for purpose’.

Picture shows Boleh and volunteer crew putting out the bunting on return to her Haslar berth.

The sun shines, Lockdown is beginning to ease, and we’re delighted to report Boleh back in the water with new generator aboard and refurbished mast re-stepped.  Thanks to Tim Gilmore and team, and to volunteers Mark Minshull and Graham Westbrook, Boleh will be all set for the sailing Season ahead. This starts, Covid restrictions allowing, with day sails for Army trainees, followed by Boleh’s long-awaited return to Portland for the Dorset Schools programme with the Chesil Trust.

We are grateful to all our donors who have made this winter’s progress possible.   In particular, our Trustees acknowledge the contribution of the Nuffield Trust for the Armed Forces of the Crown.  Their generosity has given Boleh both a new generator and support for the 2021 sailing programme.

Picture shows Boleh shortly after lift-in at Birdham with final adjustments being made to securing her quadruped mast.