Thank you from KIDS OUT

[Sans Bateau]

Today we completed the 27th KIDS OUT event in Chichester harbour, despite winds gusting up to 30 knts, the rain stayed away for the children.

Because of the windy conditions it was decided not to anchor at East Head, the boats from Chi marina anchored at PIlsey and we from Northney anchored up around Mill Rythe in the Emsworth Channel.

166 children with varying life challenges enjoyed the day on 51 boats. Approx 25% of those boats are forum members, plus this year we had forum members turn up just to lend a hand. Some of those forum members are now veterans of the KIDS OUT day.

What a wonderful bunch of people you are, I know the children enjoyed themselves, I've heard some great reports! DJE, hows your ducks! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

On behalf of the children, I would like to say thank you for your help and support, without you the event cannot take place.

Signed
Stephen Anne the entire IYFR KIDS OUT commitee and of course the children

 

[tome]

Classic moment today

As always, we try to get the kids to take the helm and 'steer the ship' even if someone needs to give them a helping hand. Sometimes their concentration isn't absolute

When it came to young Laurens turn, she stepped up to the helm without hesitation. She fixed me a stare before announcing that she was now the captain and I was to sit down

Wonderful organisation, we do the easy bit!

 

[WayneS]

Great day and a big THANK YOU to Judders for helping me out today while SWIMBO was otherwise engaged.

Roll on next year.

Cheers

Wayne
(Sinu-K-Tain)

 

[Parsonsheath]

How sad that you should need blank out the child's face so we could not see her, what a world we do live in, still, what a wonderful thing to do for the kids!

Congragulations to all who took part.

 

[Niander]

Whats the worry with the kids photo?

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

I hope you are quietly very proud of yourself Stephen, along with those who make an effort to help in a small, but no doubt highly valued way.

Its a super cause, and one that I would love to support should we have been closer geographically.

 

[tome]

[ QUOTE ]
How sad that you should need blank out the child's face so we could not see her, what a world we do live in

[/ QUOTE ]

Agree entirely with your sentiments Pasonsheath. Her teacher specifically reminded me that I mustn't use the photos except to send them to the school, so felt it necessary

Such a pity as her eyes were brimming with joy, but there you go

 

[Twister_Ken]

Yeah, but did you have to stick a massive Elastoplast across her face?

 

[Blueboatman]

Sterling stuff well done indeed

 

[Judders]

Thank you to the organisers and of course to Wayne for a fantastic day out. They probably don't read these pages but the biggest thank you of all must go the the staff of the schools and of course the kids themselves.

 

[DJE]

Here's the ducks; safely ashore again.

As ever the kids toys on the boat went down well and young Callum was determined to return the ducks to their natural element. We compromised on a bucket of water in the cockpit which gave him the extra fun of splashing all the grown-ups. Our other guest Carina loved steering and was completely untroubled by looking where we were going. Sadly no photos because of all the hassle about pictures of kids, (and we forgot the camera! so only camera phones on board.) Well done to the organisers all Anne's hard work was obvious when someone handed her her first drink at CYC on Saturday night.
(Horrible passage back on Saturday by the way. How many got to Cowes?)

 

[Sans Bateau]

Nice to see you both Fri eve, a good meal, well at least you must have thought so, going to the carvery for seconds! Thanks for the lift back to the boat.

I think it might take even Anne a little while to get through the bottle she was given.

All the 8 boats got to Cowes, crap sail though, wind bang on the nose, 5 - 6 then gusting the top of a 6. By the time I got to Mother Bank with wind over tide the temtation was to great and I motored the last bit. But worth it, had PDD's on Steves mobo /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif and a great meal at ISC.

Sail back yesterday in max of 8knts of wind /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[zefender]

I note that your guest is wearing an auto-inflation jacket. Ours had to wear some bulky old things that I think were just buoyancy aids. I wanted to hand over my life jackets but feared the 'health n safety/risk assessment' police.
It was a shame the wind wrote off any sailing but we had a couple of really sweet, autistic lads on board who seemed to enjoy themselves, even if they were a bit more interested in reading out any change to the instrument readings than helming!

 

[tome]

We use our own LJs. I think there's a choice and if you don't have sufficient on board they will supply them, but awful bulky things as you say

We were going to run out the jib for the return trip but then it started to blow a bit so decided best not really

 

[Sans Bateau]

There is never a problem using your own lifejackets, some boats don't have enough on board. or they will not adjust down small enough. The buoyancy aids are loaned for the day by the Cobnor activity centre, yes they are a bit bulky.

I do the safety brief at Northney, unfortunately a necessary part of life today, I always apologise at the start "teaching your grandmother to suck eggs", but it has to be done, one year you don't and an accident happens, good bye KIDS OUT. You always feel that there are 'officials' out there waiting for us to trip up.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the day.

 

[zefender]

No, not a dig at the organisation at all, in fact it all seemed to go very smoothly and well done to you and the others for arranging it. As a newbie doing this, I just opted for the cautious approach!

The slightly scary thing was leaving Thursday night from Port Solent to reach Chichester marina, on my tod. My plotter took me as far as East Head and then eek, I was out of digital charts, relying on paper and pilot book thereafter, which, given the number of unlit marks (and my first time past Itchenor) was er interesting! Still, I bounced on the mud a couple of times and made it into the lock at about 01:00!

 

[Sans Bateau]

I acted as pilot for mastmuppet on his Sigma 33, as we approached the unlit markers to Chi marina, we recorded 1.3 meters, the boat has a 1.8 metres draft! I think we might have ploughed a bit of a furrow!

 

[zefender]

Maybe you just followed through the one I made earlier!

 

[WayneS]

Trust me, the QE2 was able to follow me up to the lock on Thursday afternoon... At least it was a rising tide..

And being a Bav, I am somewhat shocked that me keel did not fail when I touched the mud...for the 10th time..... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[zefender]

Well me is Bav boy too. So that makes 2 x 100% success on groundings then!