Seascout cutter under sail in the gulf.

Young Sea Scouts from the Waiheke group sailed three traditional gunter rigged cutters for an overnight camp on Motuihe Island recently. 

The 18 boys and girls had a support crew of parents and siblings and the overnight excursion brought to a conclusion Sea Scouts Sailing School 2012.

During the week the Scouts practiced and developed their sailing skills including capsize and man overboard drills within Putiki Bay and were treated to a ride to Auckland and back on the Seacat where they toured the engine rooms and spent time on the bridge learning about life at sea and the operation of the ferry.

“The group has come such a long way in the past year,” said Sea Scouts chairman Paul Walden. “At our first boating school in 2011 we focused on basic boating skills including rowing and kayaking. We had one cutter surveyed and not enough sailors to put together a sailing crew. 

“Since then we have purchased two more cutters, and we now have three surveyed and in use with ample crew and coaching and support on hand from experienced parents and leaders. 

Practising man overboard and capsize drills.

“This experience would not have been possible were it not for the support of our community and I recognise the contribution of Bill Vickery who joined the group as a leader and sailing instructor following last summer’s school and has injected loads of energy into the program, David Waters who has spent many hours getting the boats in shape, Waiheke Coast Guard crews who gave up their work time to support our youth, Clive Pickthall who volunteered his yacht and time to escort and give the Scouts an experience on a large keeler and the SeaLink operations manager John Monaghan who arranged the trip on the car ferry.”

Paul said Waiheke Sea Scouts had grown over the past four years from a hand full of children to a full roll of around 100 ranging across Keas, Cubs and Scouts with a waiting list for Keas at this time to Nov 2013. The fees are around $100 per year, most of which covers association fees to Scouting NZ. The group is volunteer run and rely on donations and funding.

Scout headquarters in Shelley Beach in Putiki Bay.

“They have only a few left in service and it would be a wonderful asset for the youth on the island. We need to fund the purchase and cost of transport of the boat from Petone to Auckland and arrange suitable storage, perhaps in a Rocky Bay boatshed.

“We have a prefab classroom in storage which we would like to establish at Rangihoua Park. This would enable us to easily run activities including estuary kayaking, rock climbing, abseiling, archery, small bore rifle shooting, bush craft, orienteering, ropes courses, tramping, horse riding and mountain biking all within the natural environment,” he said. •