On Wednesday 7^th September, we embarked on our Rockley adventure, three days of water sports on (and in) the waters of Poole Harbour.  Adventures are about new experiences, being brave and sometimes facing fears.  As few of us had ever sailed before and one or two could not even swim we approached the event with a mixture of excitement and trepidation.  What would we learn? What stories would we have to tell when it was all over?

On the first day, our coach took us swiftly to Rockley Park and as soon as we had met our instructors, Si and Paddy, we headed straight down to the beach.  The plan was to complete a day sail on Wayfarers, boats which could hold four passengers.  As the weather was hot and sunny we didn’t need our wetsuits, only waterproof trousers.  Putting these on together with the essential buoyancy aid was completed with lots of laughing and was our first introduction to the need for teamwork. Without fuss, we climbed into the motor boats and were ferried out to the Wayfarers, moored a little way from the quay.  Sails were hoisted, ropes were cast off and with an instructor at each helm we headed out into the harbour.  Our destination was Hamworthy for a picnic lunch in Ham Park.  After lunch, we became a lot braver with lots of children dipping their heads over the side into the sea and some ‘accidentally’ falling out.  We were surprised how warm and shallow the sea was at that point in the harbour.  What a fabulous first experience of sailing.  Everybody enjoyed it.   After dinner back at the lodge we returned to the beach for crabbing and archery.  As the sun set around us we became food for the midges

The second day dawned bright and clear.  Today we were heading out into the harbour again, but this time were highly likely to end up in the water so it was time for the wetsuits.  If we thought getting the waterproof trousers on was tricky, this was as nothing compared to getting 27 children and 3 adults into wetsuits and buoyancy aids. Teamwork, perseverance and a certain amount of wriggling around eventually resulted in success and we were ready.  Half of us headed out to the picos, small sailing boats for two sailors.  Half headed towards the raft building and paddle boards.  It was a challenging morning.  Many of us found the new skills tricky and some of us had to face fears we didn’t know we had.   Fortunately, the sea was still warm as many of us found out when we capsized, fell in or jumped in.  After swapping stories over a welcome lunch of baked potatoes followed by chocolate cake and some running games on the beach we were ready to try our second experience of the day.  A weary class headed back to the lodge that evening where we were fed a fantastic meal of chilli con carne and were quite relieved to hear that our evening entertainment would be inside, out of reach of the midges. 

As we reached the beach on our final day a cool breeze picked up and the sky was cloudy and overcast.  It was an inauspicious start.  A few decided that they had completed enough activities on the water and chose to stay on the beach with Mrs Chesterfield.  The rest of us climbed, wriggled and jumped our way back into our wetsuits.  It was time for the ‘cats’.  Catamarans – the fastest boats on the water.  Instructors would sail them and we would hold on tight.  Si described it as like being in a washing machine.  He was right.  The boats cut through the waves rather than riding on top of them and that water was unceremoniously dumped on top of the passengers.  Some of us found it exhilarating, some of us found it extraordinary and a few of us were not convinced by it at all preferring to ride on the safety boat with Paddy.  All too soon the experience came to an end and it was time to head back to the lodge ready for the journey home.

Three days.  Two nights.  One experience which has left us all with memories which will last a lifetime.  Funny moments, exciting moments, scary moments all combining to help us learn more about ourselves and what we are each capable of.