Andrew Evans discovers a new passion on board a tall ship

Andrew Evans enjoying life at sea with a crew member

Andrew Evans, who lives in Rochdale, tells us about his new found hobby which helps young people’s employment prospects:

“I was holidaying with my wife when I first laid eyes on the beautiful TS Pelican, moored in Weymouth harbour in 2011. I picked up a flyer detailing the year’s sailing programme and visited the charity’s website when we returned home. The charity has helped many young people to become more employable by using sailing adventures to help them develop skills like team-work, confidence and leadership. The money from adult voyages goes to help provide bursaries for young people who might not otherwise be able to join the ship. I thought this was great. The ship looked very well-run and professional and I was really keen on having a good time onboard as well as an adventure!

I decided to go onboard for a day sail that same year to get a feel for what life would be like helping to crew a tall ship, at the age of 70. I had a fantastic day (complete with some excellent food). I then “signed on” in 2012 for a voyage from Weymouth to London for the Queen's Jubilee celebrations.

I did have some experience of sailing before the voyage. In my teenage years I had always hankered after a career at sea and I was lucky enough through school to have the opportunity of a voyage on a trawler for month. An uncle of mine in the Royal Navy recommended that this type of experience would give me a good insight into life on a working ship. My career at sea never materialised but through most of my adult life I’ve enjoyed quite a lot of recreational sailing which gave me the opportunity of learning new skills, many of these skills were certainly refreshed during my first voyage on Pelican in 2012.

Onboard TS Pelican you are 100% immersed in life onboard a sailing ship. On arrival, you are allocated your cabin and given a full briefing regarding the planned voyage by the captain and permanent crew, including all health and safety information. Although I joined by myself, you have plenty of opportunity to get to know others onboard as you are allocated a watch. A watch involves a group of you having a four hour slot on a rotational basis whereby you are on deck, carrying out a variety of duties. During watch duty you could be on lookout and reporting observations, manning sails, or going aloft. All of these exercises were great fun. The permanent crew provided instructions on navigation, chart work, radar and so on to anyone who was interested.

I found this really interesting and everyone on my voyage was keen to learn more. It should be noted though that parts of the voyage are certainly challenging and this is very much a working holiday. The weather isn’t always brilliant to say the least and you are often operating on a reduced amount of sleep, largely due to the watches.

I enjoyed my first voyage so much and had so many different experiences, including meeting many new like-minded novices, that I signed up for another voyage last year. This one was from Whitehaven, in Cumbria, to Aarhus, in Denmark. I had an equally enjoyable time during this voyage. I love the hearty and wholesome food that is provided onboard as well as the team-spirit, comradery and friendliness of the crew. No one is forced to do anything but the majority of people are willing to be 100% involved.

This year, I’ll be sailing again – on the 27 June I will be joining the ship to sale from Liverpool to Harlingen in Holland. This voyage is the Tall Ships Races Delivery Voyage, where we will take the ship to the start of the International Tall Ships Races 2014. Once in Harlingen, Pelican will be joined by up to 100 other tall ships from around the world to take part in an amazing festival that celebrates cultural diversity, fun, and of course, sailing.

I have finished each voyage with a great feeling of achievement and satisfaction. I hope my story has inspired you to think about challenging yourself to do something different. Sailing on a tall ship has been such an adventure and I would recommend it to anyone. If I can complete a voyage at 72 years of age, so can you.”

TS Pelican is owned by the charity Adventure Under Sail; a charity dedicated to helping young people develop skills and become more employable through sailing adventures. Adult voyages and day sails are also available: to find out more about TS Pelican’s 2014 programme please visit www.adventureundersail.com or call 01305 858 274.