Porchlight group on Morning Star

A group from Porchlight Canterbury, funded by the Whirlwind Trust, have just had a great week sailing on Morning Star.

Before the end of the trip the first mate (Alistair) reported: “A fantastic 4 days so far with lots of fun and laughter. No real sea sickness and a boat that hasn’t done less than 6 knots of speed, has made for a great adventure. Even the 5am start this morning didn’t seem to dampen spirits, as I write this the crew is preparing the dinghy for a competent crew rowing session.”

The crew, all aged under 25, are not in full-time education and are homeless and jobless. For some this is compounded by drug and alcohol problems.

Here is what they had to say about their experience:

“Getting away from the hostel for a few days has been great. The team building aspect as been quite a surprise and a really valuable part has been how important it is for each of us to play our part and pull our weight otherwise the boat doesn’t work! It has also given me a new direction on life which is really important for my drug recovery.”

“ A very enjoyable experience; from working hard in blustery weather, working as a team to get the best results from the sails, to quiet moments of self-reflection under the stars. It has been a truly memorable and eye-opening break from the norm. I have walked away with a new understanding of a completely different way of life, and have made new friends who I would otherwise never had the opportunity meet. “

“This trip has been great and although, I’ve been on board before this is the first time I haven’t felt sea-sick which is really good. It has been great meeting lots of new people and having to all work together to get the boat from A to B has been really good fun.”