To kick off the half term holiday, the Scouts took part in their first water activities as the new Gorsemoor troop. What better place to do this than the National Sailing Academy, home to the 2012 Olympics.
We were hosted by Briana, Ed and Poppy of Weymouth & Portland Adventure. They showed us round the excellent facilities, which were indeed good enough for our budding Olympians!
Under warm sunny skies, our first activity was Sailing. We first learned how to rig up our boats, the basic controls, turning procedures and what to do in a capsize situation.
Despite the safety boat breaking down, Ed and Poppy got the Scouts started while a replacement was quickly brought out. We were very impressed with how the instructors responded and were thankful that the activity could still proceed.
The Scouts had to work as a team as they were paired up in each boat with one steering and the other operating the sail. The instructors were very impressed with how quickly they learned and their competency by the end of the activity.
After a break for lunch in the sun on the terrace, it was time for our second activity, kayaking. The Scouts first learned the basic principles of paddling and did a few warm up exercises before hitting the water.
On the two man kayaks, they again had to work as a team to make sure that they went in the right direction. Some were naturals, whilst others took a little time to get accustomed.
We paddled to a beach, examined the local marine life and learned about the huge varieties of local seaweed that are all edible. Ed then taught us how to do a few stunts like a kayak ‘wheelie’.
We then went to explore the marina where we did a few fun challenges before finishing for the day.
At the end of the day, it was made even more special with 4 Scouts getting invested into the troop under the Olympic Rings.
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