Greenwich students to set sail on Tall Ships

: Created: 12 April 2017

Last month, students from across London South East Colleges were invited to apply after representatives from Royal Borough of Greenwich came along to talk about the event and the funding bursary available to pay for the trip. Our students were quick to take up the challenge, signing up straight away. The five lucky students were notified just two weeks later.

Jack Oliver is currently studying for his Light Vehicle Maintenance and Repair C&G Level 1 course at the College and is keen to get on board. He says: “The Student Experience Team at my campus first told me about this and I knew it would be an experience that I could learn a lot from. Being very mechanically minded, I’m very interested in what propels these ships through the waves and keeps them afloat. It’s also a great opportunity for all of us to work together as a team and have some fun.”

Health and Social Care BTEC Level 1 student, Jack Rintoul is also getting excited about the journey. He says: “I’ve always wanted to travel to another country without having to sit on a plane. It’s just too easy and you miss all of the sites along the way. Travelling by tall ship means that you have to take part in the navigation and work each day on putting up the sails, cooking meals and all sorts of other practical activities. Teamwork will be essential and I’m looking forward to learning something that I know I won’t find anywhere else.

“My dad was in the Royal Navy and he has always told me about his adventures on the high seas. He was very instrumental in encouraging me to do this.”

The tall ships will depart on Sunday 16 April and head towards Quebec in Canada, via Portugal, Bermuda and Boston. The ship’s crew will provide training in a range of duties from standing at the helm and steering the ships, working in the galley preparing dinner, scrubbing the decks or raising sails. The project aims to give trainees an experience they will never forget.