Richard Liszka's voyage on board 'Prolific', the Ocean Youth Trust South's Training Yacht
Prolific
Prolific was moored in Poole when I boarded her in the early afternoon of the 30th August 2022. Once everyone was there and we had all been introduced and selected our bunks, everyone made their way up to the deck, where we were shown some of the things we'd need to know for the voyage - from how to use a lifejacket to what to do if there was a fire.
After a good night's sleep everybody was woken up early in order to set sail as soon as possible. After having breakfast I joined the other people in my watch to help untie the boat from the harbour before we could leave. The other watches hoisted the two sails as we left Poole, headed West along the South coast. The Sea was very rough on the first day of sailing and quite a few people were sick, but thankfully I didn't feel too bad. I got to have a go at steering the boat though - which is harder than you'd imagine - especially when you have to keep steering on a bearing while struggling to stay standing in 2 metre waves! Eventually, we arrived in Worbarrow Bay where we anchored, and once everybody was feeling better, we all sat on some beanbags on deck to do some stargazing before going to bed for the night.
The next morning, we sailed further West, all the way to Portland Harbour, where we learned about navigation and right of way at sea. Later on we left the harbour, and each watch had the chance to steer and navigate a course for the ship, which we had plotted on a chart earlier in the day. After finishing the navigation, the boat was anchored just outside the harbour and everyone was allowed to jump off the side and go for a swim - which was a perfect way to end the day.
The following morning we were all woken up at 6:30 to get a head start on our journey back East. On the way back we saw a pod of dolphins that swam right next to the boat - I got some fantastic pictures and it was amazing that we got to see them! After several hours of sailing we approached the Isle of Wight, anchoring just off Yarmouth. It was my turn to prepare dinner that night, which was sausages and mash, and it took a lot longer than I expected to peel enough potatoes for twenty two people! Once it had gone dark the anchor was raised and we set of to do some night sailing back to Southampton. Going on Prolific was an absolutely fantastic experience that I would highly recommend to anyone, and I would also like to say a massive thank you to all the people that made it possible!
Richard
November 2022
Last updated 14:41 on 8 July 2023