At the start of the voyage, you should remind the skipper or first mate that you want to use the voyage as your Residential Project. They can then watch your progress during the voyage and ensure that you are given every opportunity to show what you can do to achieve a really positive report in your Record Book at the end of the voyage. Volunteering brings benefits to our volunteers as well as to the charity. Our volunteers can learn new skills, make new friends and have a lot of fun – alongside the immense satisfaction which comes from making a lasting difference to young people. Read what some of our volunteers say about why they do it. Volunteering at sea

Sally Croly leaving NEXT WEEK after 20 years! – please contribute to her leaving present or write a message for her leaving card We’re happy to take smaller groups (e.g. three or four people) on individual voyages to mix with others; but many clients will want to book the whole boat exclusively for their own group (twelve to fifteen people, including any adult leaders who come with the group). Dates available for whole-boat bookings:If you’re missing refit, or feeling guilty because you weren’t around to help much, please come to one of our in-season maintenance days! Young people take part in all activities on board – sail handling, steering, navigation, cooking, keeping watch (including night watches) etc. We don’t even decide in advance where the boat will go: there will be a start and finish port, but what happens in between depends partly on the weather but also on what the young people want to do. It is a very expensive business maintaining a boat, running an office and employing staff. If you want to help us, please become a member of OYT South. Or see here for information on making a donation.

Everyone has loved working with Sally and we all depended on her support, help, guidance, honesty, and good humour.

How to sail with us

See here for more information about becoming a sailing volunteer. You can also see profiles of some of our sailing volunteers– people you might meet on board, helping to run our voyages. Volunteering ashore I feel I have some appreciation of what you and your team do but what I can see is lots of enthusiasm, knowledge, and consideration for others and teamwork, carry on the good work. Thank you for a great day’s sailing.” We work with other charities, mainstream and special schools, local authorities, social workers and youth workers, who refer young people to sail with us. Especially in school holidays, these may be mainstream groups from families who can afford a voyage (including young people doing the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Gold Residential); but we also work with young people who are disadvantaged or vulnerable in some way, particularly for term-time voyages. This includes young carers, siblings of life-limited children, young offenders, young people not in education, training or employment, children who have been bullied, abused or neglected, homeless teenagers, victims of crime, young people with physical and/or learning difficulties, children in care and many more.

We have two adult voyages before the closing date – five days or a weekend in September – if someone wants to come and find out more about us before applying. We can offer funded places to genuine skipper candidates if needed. They went to Cowes on the first evening and then set off on Tuesday, enjoying the sight of some fabulous vessels which are racing in the Solent this week: The wind died and they made their way to anchor in Swanage where they found dolphins – just visible in this photo: Family descendants of the original owners and crews of the first Prolific still live in and around Halleviksstrand and Orust. In 2002 interested people in the community formed a group called Navigare Necesse Est (NNE) (some of whom were 1970’s Swedish ex-Admirals Cup sailors) to raise funds to recreate a new Prolific for sail training to keep alive traditional seafaring skills on the west coast of Sweden.Saturday was a maintenance day – big thanks to Diggory, Josh, Graeme Cole, Rob Jelley, and Nathan whom we met at the South Coast Boat Show. Nathan and Rob oiled the capping rail and it now looks lovely! The team also caught up with routine maintenance on a glorious sunny day with ice cream breaks … Diggory says: “Seriously everyone, you need to get involved in the next maintenance day – it was such a joyful day!” Wherever possible, we aim to explain, listen and offer choices. Some crews will consist of young people who are ready for a challenge, with long passages that will really push them to their limits. Other voyages may involve less confident young people who need a gentler introduction to sailing, or a break from problems at home or at school.