Team KHS are having an amazing time on the Excelsior. Don’t just take it from me – we have a first hand account from Able Seaman Aaron!

My Excelsior journey so far!

I was quite surprised when Jayne asked me to join her on a school adventure and once I heard all about it I couldn’t believe my luck because it was an opportunity of a lifetime. We have over a thousand students in school and I had one of nine places, I was instantly convinced and spoke to Mum and Dad about it. I couldn’t believe that my Dad was so jealous.

We had an individual meeting when Mum, Dad and me came into school to chat with Jayne over the Easter Holidays and got all of the details. Dad and Mum were panicking about some of the kit I needed, typical Mum. Dad was still jealous, and became more so when he started to research the route and the mode of transport this jealousy just got bigger and worse.

The weeks quickly passed and I started to pack my kit, and then the night before we left I was excited. The morning of us leaving I was up bright and early, we met in school for nine in the morning. Mum went away to work and my little brother em went to school, so it was Dad that took me in. Dad was trying to think about how he could get in the school minibus to come with us. In the minibus it was very mixed, some students quiet, others asking questions, and others chatting. We were heading for Dunbar, but the traffic had other ideas! However, a few emergency services passing us seemed to help us move quicker. We eventually got to the docks in Dunbar, which was very busy and I couldn’t see the ship. I was a wee bit worried, we met Issac and Ben who were going to be our Skipper and First mate for the next eight days. One of the students called the Skipper a hippy and the First Mate looked really posh. We all got our kit out of the minibus and pilled it up, and got asked to stand in a circle. Then we had a safety briefing on how to wear a life jacket, my nerves were starting to kick. We then looked over the edge, nerves were getting the better of me. We loaded the bags on to a rib, down a flight of stairs into the sea. Five students and one of our teachers Mrs Springhall all squeezed on the rib. The harbour master started the rib and we went at a medium speed, it felt raj been in on the rib going out to sea with a week’s worth of kit. I’ve only ever seen a rib when playing on my X-box, it was mental. When we actually saw the ship it looked smaller than I imagined from the videos that I had seen, we got on to the boat with our kit making sure we left room for the others to get on. We met Bob, Mike, Harry and Izzy. Once the others were aboard we all looked at a chart of our journey to Peterhead, and did some introductions. We then split into groups, my group went below deck first and we got to look around l at the space, we looked inside the foc’sl, the heads and how to work them. I felt like I needed to be a master class engineer to just to flush. Then on to the salon, galley, chart room, and engine room, there was also bunks. It felt very very small for 16 bodies! We then swapped with the group upstairs, and was shown about the deck. Ben was our tour guide for on deck and Harry showed us below. We had a bite of lunch to eat, before we then had a little chill time before we started to set sail. Two students were already unwell and displaying signs of sea sickness, I was feeling fine and excited.

Engines started and Ben and Jayne went to split us into watches. A watch is a group of people who have a set time to be on deck to basically keep a watch for bouys, other ships, any obstacles, and be helmsman. Each watch also had set times to cook and clean. Our watch was first to make dinner, which was chicken drumsticks and roasted veg. I was chopping vegetables, I was down in the galley which was really hot and something that I’m not use too. It was almost like going from something like the North Pole to the Arizona desert. I felt fairly dizzy, felt like my stomach was really unwell and started to get a headache. It got worse over the next few hours, I would say like ten times worse and I got to the point where I couldn’t leave the deck. I just wanted off and for the feeling to end. I would have literally done anything to get off at this point. All I remember is being in a ball forever and just wanted to back home.

We eventually arrived at Peterhead after a gruelling 97 nautical miles, which I thought would never end. I had phoned home and asked if my Dad could drive and pick me up, Jayne and my Dad both told me to stick with it and the feelings will pass. My Dad said that he would have come to get me, but was reluctant too. Jayne kept encouraging me to keep going but I really wasn’t feeling it at all. They said that as we had docked at Peterhead harbour I could get a shower and a good nights sleep before making a decision that I might regret. I did start to feel a little better, and having to keep down some food I was feeling a little more positive about our next passage to Whitehall.

After I managed to get some more sleep when my watch was on downtime I felt so much better and was so happy that I stayed. Feeling so much better and knowing that I had the opportunity to explore around the Islands in Orkney. I felt amazing knowing that I hadn’t given up, just knowing that I had the strength, courage and resilience to keep going is something that I will always remember. If times get tough in my future, I am going to always remember that I am able both mentally and physically to keep going and know at the other end there will be huge rewards.

The weather has been truly amazing, blue sky, calm waters and wind for us to hoist the sails. So far I have learnt how to tie knots, sweating and tailing, being a helmsman, learning about charts and navigation and I’ve also had a chance to help with the engine checks.

With only two days left I am really sad but so happy and proud of myself for saying ‘yes’ all those weeks ago. Going home I know that I am going to be different, try new things and potentially be in a much happier place with myself.

My Mum said on the family group chat that ‘ I’m not sure he will come home or that he will want to stay as part of the crew’.

Aaron L.