“You can do kayaking,
canoeing, raft building, high ropes course or sailing”
The words were spoken by
Jane, our Business Support Coordinator at Plas Newydd when I asked if I could
join one of their Wet & Wild days.
I paused and glanced out of
the window towards the Menai
Strait .
“Mmm. Let me think…” I ruminated.
Kayaking and canoeing? I can
do this any weekend.
Raft building? Sounds a bit like hard work.
High ropes? Too terrestrial for a Coastal Engagement
Project Manager.
And, Sailing..?
Yes, I thought. I’ve always fancied doing that, but never had
the opportunities – financial or otherwise – to have a go.
So here I am, a month later,
unglamorously clothed in purple waterproofs and life jacket with three families
of friendly strangers on the quay below the Marquess of Anglesey’s ancestral
home on the banks of the mighty Menai.
Ready to cast off |
So it was two teachers from
the Centre, Colin and Charlie who were to show us land-lubbers the ropes. They
split us into two groups: the younger children and a father with Colin and the
older children (including me) with Charlie.
A few minutes later our group was stepping carefully from the little motor
boat onto the graceful lines of Jouster, one of two 8m long J/80 fixed-keel sailing
boats that the centre owns.
Jouster, waiting at her mooring |
Sitting attentively with my
fellow cadets, Charlotte, Emily, Alfred and Alex, I learnt the names for the
sails, ropes (some curiously called sheets),
cleats and other vital equipment. Soon
we were setting off into a stiff south-westerly and learning to ‘beat a tack’, ‘come
about’, ‘jibe’ and how to avoid the ominous-sounding “danger zone”.
Charlotte takes the tiller as Charlie checks the trim of the sails |
Alfred and Emily off Felinheli |
Emily takes a turn as helm |
A dozen or so tacks brought
us to the far side of Felinheli and in high spirits we made for home, securing
the yacht to the mooring minutes before a squall hit us. The final task – requiring the combined
teamwork of both crews – was to haul the motor boat in one continuous motion up
the steep ramp to the safety of the quayside.
And so we made our way back
to the kit store, pleased with ourselves for taking the trouble of broadening
our horizons in such an enjoyable way.
Now all I have to do is
start saving up for that yacht.
Why not go Wet & Wild
yourself? Trips continue until the end
of August. Click here for details.