FINAL VOYAGE

On Friday 16th September the FINAL VOYAGE team held the penultimate Shackleton Scouts’ Own at Millbay Docks in Plymouth next to the Sir Ernest Shackleton blue plaques.

Silas Maxwell [Medway Towns]
Edward Wisbey [Dover]
Jacob Websdale [Thanet]
Jack Smith [Dartford]
Amy Schipper [Royal Tunbridge Wells]
Alex Tremain [Dartford]
Rose Darnley [Devon Scouts, representing Plymouth]
Oli Cowell [Hampshire Scouts, representing Portsmouth]

They were joined by four Kent Scouts Leaders – Alan Noake, Andrea Noake, Lucy Morgan and Nick Burring.

To mark the end of the REQUEST2021 project a tall ship sailing experience had been arranged. The original intention was to follow the route of the last few days of the Shackleton-Rowett ‘Quest’ expedition’s year-long voyage and sail from Plymouth to Portsmouth.

Unfortunately, as the Johanna Lucretia tall ship arrived in Plymouth, she suffered a catastrophic engine failure. In true Scouting spirit the FINAL VOYAGE team went ahead with the weekend anyway. We still slept aboard the tall ship and spent the Saturday sailing out from Plymouth on two other alterative vessels – the Olga, a beautiful original Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter and also had the thrill of sailing and navigating the replica of Blythe’s boat that was featured in the Channel 4 TV series, Mutiny.

On the Sunday morning the team got the opportunity to climb the rigging of the Johanna Lucretia.

On Sunday afternoon the team made their way by road to hold the very last Shackleton Scouts’ Own by the Spinnaker Tower at Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth.