Students from Springwood High School in Lynn got the adventure of a lifetime when they set sail as crew in a 102-year-old fishing boat.
The youngsters took part in two trips as part of a joint initiative between the school and the Excelsior Trust, a charity providing sailing experiences for young and disadvantaged people.
The pupils travelled on the Excelsior which was built in 1921 to trawl the Northern South Sea. The vessel is believed to be one of the last surviving Lowestoft fishing smacks.
The scheme was organised by Springwood history teacher Matt Scoles, who has been a keen sailor since childhood and runs sailing taster sessions at Snettisham Sailing Club during the summer.
The first trip saw 12 of the school’s Year 9 students become crew on the Excelsior on a trip from Lowestoft to Yarmouth.
They were accompanied by Mr Scoles and head of year 9 Victoria Mann, along with two members of the Excelsior Trust.
While the trust provides a professional skipper and a leading hand, the students perform the duties of a crew.
This includes hauling all the ropes to set and trim the sails and taking directions from the professionals to sail the vessel.
Mr Scoles said: “On the first day, we had torrential rain and poor visibility, but, despite some sea-sickness, they rose to the challenge and persevered through it.”
The second group, which comprised of 13 Year 10 students, experienced better conditions for their excursion.
Mr Scoles said: “On the second day, Year 10 were blessed with a gorgeous summer’s day and, working as a team, were able to set sail almost as soon as Excelsior was clear of the sandbanks off Lowestoft.”
Fifteen-year-old Kaine, who was part of the crew, described the experience as “the best day ever”.
Another student Hope, also 15, said: “I enjoyed the trip because we all got involved and had a job to do. It was a fun experience.”
Their fellow crew members agreed, with Willow stating, “My experience from the trip was really good”, and Connor adding: “I felt like Captain Jack Sparrow when I was sailing the boat!”
Mr Scoles added: “These trips provide an opportunity for students to experience something that they have never done before, in an environment that is totally new and challenging.
“Students need to be resilient and work as a team, and events like this help students to realise just how much potential they have to achieve when they work for it.”
Reporting by Amelia Platt
