Marianne Clapton from Grantham in Lincolnshire has recently returned from her latest sailing adventure aboard a unique tall ship.
Marianne joined the crew of Tenacious on 31 July for the final leg of this year’s internationally recognised The Tall Ships Race which is run by Sail Training International. Marianne sailed from Kristiansand, Norway, to Hartlepool, for the climax of this epic North Sea adventure on 9 August. The voyage was a race to the finish, following the path that the Vikings took many years ago.
Marianne joined a crew of up to 40 other amateurs from 16-80 years old on board Tenacious which is owned and operated by Southampton based charity, Jubilee Sailing Trust (JST). The ship is one of only two in the world that has been designed and built to enable able-bodied and disabled people to sail side by side as equals.
Everyone on board has a part to play no matter what their level of experience or ability. With facilities that include wheelchair lifts between deck levels, a speaking compass and the option for joystick steering or the usual ship’s wheel, but with hydraulic power assisted steering, everybody has the chance to fully participate in the action on board.
This is the second time that Marianne who is a trainee accountant has sailed with the JST. Her first voyage was a 12 day journey on Lord Nelson from Delfzijl in the Netherlands to Great Yarmouth to join the Maritime Festival in September 2009. Marianne is already thinking about her third voyage which could be an island hopping trip in the Canaries.
Marianne reflects on her experiences sailing with the Trust: “I was a bit apprehensive before my first voyage but more confident before my second. I enjoyed the whole experience – meeting people of different abilities and backgrounds. Getting to the top of the mast and going on the bowsprit were definitely high spots of my last journey. ”
Tenacious turned 10 years’ old on September 1 and there will be a number of weekend day trips that month to celebrate this milestone. Details of these trips are available on the JST website at www.jst.org.uk.