Cadets home after voyage of discovery
The finer points of plankton research proved elusive, but a group of hardy young sailors have learned plenty about their own resilience in testing seas.
The team of TS Talisman Sea Cadets arrived home in Nelson yesterday afternoon after a lifechanging fortnight on the Sea Cadets Voyage of Discovery.
As well as taking on the responsibility of sailing the 20-metre yacht Sh’khinah from Auckland to Suva, the cadets had intended to become honorary ‘planktonauts’ by engaging in scientific research for international research organisation Plankton Planet.
TS Talisman unit commander Lieutenant Milo Coldren said while only a small number of plankton samples were collected due to some rough sea conditions, the overall level of sailing skills and camaraderie gained on the voyage made up for any lost research.
Coldren said a ’’brilliant’’ support crew had ensured a smooth sailing, including Kat Holmes who was a mate on a previous cadet voyage to New Caledonia in 2010.
The cadets were welcomed to Fiji by New Zealand defence advisor to Fiji Lt. Colonel Josh Wineera, and military liaison officer Lt Sam Wilson.
While in Fiji, Holmes developed training for the cadets which culminated in the young crewmates running the vessel – planning passages from Suva to the western side of the island through passes and into anchorages.
‘‘Kat and I were always near the outside controls and monitored progress closely but tried to make the cadets feel they were completely in control,’’ Coldren said.
‘‘It was stressful for them, especially with the heat and humidity, but they really did learn how to work together as a team despite the stress.’’
Coldren also paid tribute to social media officer Stephanie Chitty, who along with Holmes helped create opportunities for the cadets to discover more about themselves.
‘‘I’ve never seen anyone take to offshore voyaging as positively as she did – always getting up for her watch with a cheerful smile regardless of the time of night or weather conditions.’’
For the cadets, the general consensus of their time at sea was that despite the challenges and frustrations of mastering seamanship, forging greater self-belief and closer friendships had been a worthwhile result.
‘‘Being in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with no land in sight - It really helps you learn about yourself,’’ said 15-year-old Flurina Gauler.
‘‘It is a lot harder to do than most people think, but as you go it becomes easier and at the end you look back at what you learned and how far you’ve come and it’s an incredible feeling.’’
‘‘The idea of sailing to Fiji seemed so [challenging] that we might be overcome by things like sea-sickness, group conflict, but you can accomplish anything you put your mind to,’’ said 16-year-old John Paul Schryvers.
‘‘I learnt that there’s more to teamwork than just getting along with your team-mates. It’s about exploring the differences between members of the crew and how to work with these differences in mind.’’