Phil Selby gets into sailing
Phil Selby is a member of the Isle of Wight
Fire & Rescue Service. He was seconded by the service to be a
volunteer on a Prince's Trust Get into Maritime programme at the
UKSA in Cowes.
"The group consisted of 15 very individual
characters from different backgrounds, and each volunteer was
allocated five attendees. Although I live in a harbour town,
sailing has not been high on my agenda, so I joined whole-heartedly
in the first day of dingy sailing in blustery conditions. At this
point, I was not sure who was looking after whom: my group took
care of me and made sure I survived the day.
Despite numerous setbacks and soakings, the five young men,
three of whom had no experience of sailing, came up smiling,
determined to enjoy the week and continue to care for their
inexperienced leader, a true test of their character.
It was a joy to
see their reaction when the UKSA instructor told them they had all
passed their powerboat level 1 course, and would receive their
first certificate and log book.
Day four was our overnight sailing day on a 45 ft Yacht. This
brought the group together and gave us all a chance to listen to
some personal, and sometimes heartbreaking, stories.
We worked well as a team, none of us shirking away from the tasks
that our skipper had set. It was the highlight of the week, as the
group began to learn about themselves and their sailing
capabilities.
On days five and six we learnt more about dingy sailing and
kayaking, followed by a presentation from the individual teams
about their learning experiences. After that, each member received
a certificate from the High Sherriff of the Isle of Wight. It was
emotional for me, as couldn't stop thinking about the environment
to which they would be returning, but I won't forget the sense of
pride that each participant showed when they received their
certificates.
This was probably the hardest, but most
rewarding week that I have spent in the service, but I would do it
again? Most certainly, yes.
The Trust will support the group and hopefully they will go onto
the next stage of instructor training and the possibility of
permanent work."
I would recommend this experience to any member
of the service. Here is a true chance to assist in changing
someone’s life and gain more than you give.