Young people from Merseyside take part in life-changing Tall Ship Experience

10 young people from Merseyside have set sail for the adventure of a lifetime.

The Sir Ken and Lady Dodd Tall Ship Experience 2023, organised by the Merseyside Adventure Sailing Trust (MAST) and proudly co-funded by Merseyside Police, will see 10 youngsters set sail from Barrow to Dublin over the course of six days.

The group of 14–17-year-olds from Merseyside have joined 20 other young people from Barrow onboard the amazing Tall Ship Pelican of London.  

The ship has been specifically designed to give young people an exciting and exhilarating seafaring experience for up to 30 trainee crew members.

Those taking part will experience the beautiful coastline from a different perspective and work as part of a team, use perseverance, initiative, and leadership to sail a Tall Ship to distant shores.

With the support of a professional crew and mentors, the young people will become valued crewmates and get involved with every task on board including taking part in watches, hoisting sails, climbing the mast, navigating, steering, and cleaning the decks and cooking in the galley.

Through these practical skills, young people will improve their teamwork, leadership, self-confidence, motivation, problem-solving and much more.

So what can the young people expect from their Tall Ship Experience? A typical day on board the Pelican of London includes...

AM

Wake up early for watch duty

Join friends in the mess for a hearty cooked breakfast

Happy hour! – clean the ship (but to music!)

Climb 100 feet high to the yards to set the sails

Admire the beautiful view and maybe spot dolphins on the bow

Midday

Join friends in the mess again for a feast of baguettes, meats and salad

PM

Time to take the helm and steer the ship!

Off watch now, so relax with friends on the bow of the boat

Take in the sights and chat with new found friends on board

Start planning your tactics to win the next inter-watch challenge!

Watch the sunset over the horizon

Climb into bunk for a well-earned rest before the next watch!

The young people involved will be invited to an Awards Event on Friday 8 September at The Liner hotel in Liverpool, where they will receive certificates to acknowledge their achievements.

You can follow their journey from Barrow to Dublin on Twitter by following @themastcharity or @merseypolice.