The theme of Adventures has always been a part of the GGUK programme. In 1910 guides got involved with many activities and adventurous camps and,100 years later, they still do. One of the main adventures that guides have faced was in WW1 when girls had to work hard to earn their pilots licences. They did this because they wanted to overcome the stereotype that men were more worthy than women. One of the other adventures that a girl guide faces is their Baden Powell Adventure. To gain the BP award guides have to go away for the weekend to learn many skills and to take part in adventurous activities.  

When the new Ranger group was formed in Autumn 2009, we were lucky enough to be offered the chance to go on a special sailing weekend. Ann Johnson and her husband Len have supported the Rona Sailing Project (www.ronasailingproject.org.uk) for many years and have given countless teenagers the chance to get involved in sailing at a range of levels up to crossing the Atlantic and participating in the Tall Ships Race. So on September 18^th our almost completely novice ‘crew’ met Ann and Len at Universal Marina near Southampton to board the 68’ yacht Rona II. It was a fantastic weekend! We crossed the Solent in the darkness to East Cowes on the first evening, amazed at all the shipping, the lights and pleased to have such an obviously expert skipper in charge. Over the next 48 hours we didn’t really stop. The weather was amazing and got windier as the Rangers gained skills and confidence. Helen and Julia had a truly great time cooking in the galley on a slant as the yacht tacked from side to side across the Solent! Meals were always being prepared or eaten by a continually hungry crew! Here’s what Ella Sagar had to say about our Sunday at sea.

 

 

 

Rona II Sailing Weekend: Sunday

The night before having gone to bed aching and laughing when Emily’s alarm signalled the end of our “lie-in” (until 7 what a treat!) on the last day of the fantastic weekend we all seemed a bit… tired. Which a large bowl of porridge and even bacon, toast and beans couldn’t coax us out of.

It seemed that all of the making and breaking of the starboard and port runners, putting up and taking down of the sails and running around Yarmouth in the sunshine had just drained us, to such an extent that the adults were worried because we weren’t singing Alice the Camel at the top of our lungs at every possible moment or attempting to play discrimination boisterously on deck.

After a while though (and admittedly several yummy cakes later!) we were pulling the winch ropes as if our lives depended on it and helping each other haul the sails up along the way with our legendary chant EEE-GGYY BREAAD!

We hadn’t  all had a chance to steer the Rona II on the previous day and on the Sunday it was all the more of a challenge, tacking and even going straight proved to be trying as the boat tilted at what seemed to be almost right angle to the sea because of the strong winds. It was thoroughly enjoyable if a little bit scary at times that we were going to fall in to the seemingly freezing water and maybe drag people with us!

As the day began to come to an end we wearily made our way back to where we started, with the promise of a wonderful lunch prepared by Julia and Helen. Several of us sat on the side of the deck as we made our way in to port, ardently admiring the bright pink water taxis and numerous boats called Rosie. This sit-down proved to be very productive as we began to make lots of ‘new friends’, in short waving madly at random people going by to see how many responses we got back.

When we finally moored up, a fabulous lunch waited for us below; steaming jacket potatoes with cheese, tuna and sweet corn or beans with renowned Fray Bentos steak and kidney pie (which was not so well-liked by the Rangers)* followed by wonderful leftover peach crumble and Bird’s custard. The only thing left to do now it seemed was to show our considerable thanks to the volunteers who made our amazing trip possible, a card and a little toy boat were presented to them and offers of week-long trips to France and the Channel Islands and even the race in Norway next year were made in return.

Tasks left to do now had to be done swiftly, packing bags, washing up the plates, and (the funniest part) cleaning the deck. Water went everywhere, from buckets it slopped over everyone including myself and several other people. I had to get changed because I was so soaked and when I surfaced again I nearly got a faceful of seawater which I barely managed to avoid.

We finally finished all of our work, one last group picture and we were ashore. At first staggering like babies learning to walk (or someone who’s had too much to drink take your pick!) and ate our last scrumptious chocolate caterpillar cake sitting on our suitcases waiting for our parents to arrive and take us home to hot showers and steaming baths.

 

Parents started to arrive and the port became a scene of hugs and emotional farewells (to people not just the leftover cakes) and we went home having just had one of the best, eventful and most interesting weekends of our lives.

 

back to top