Sailing on the high seas

A JOINT project between St Mary's Wrestwood Children's Trust and Bexhill Rotary Club resulted in Ben - a boat restored by students - taking to the high seas last Wednesday at Bexhill Sailing Club. Following on from last years success of Bill The Boat, five enthusiastic students from St Mary's have been refurbishing an Enterprise sailing dinghy.
By The Newsroom
Published 1st Aug 2005, 13:13 BST
Updated 7th Jun 2018, 20:22 BST

The students were Liam, Lizzie, Jason, Tim and Richard and last Wednesday the boat was named and launched in beautiful sailing conditions.

Each of the students sailed a single-handed dinghy and then they all clambered aboard Ben for its maiden voyage under the watchful eye of Sailing Club principal Gordon Trimmer.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Enterprise dinghy had been donated by a Sailing Club member and Brewers donated the materials paint, vanish, brushes, etc. and most important the name was donated by Cee-Jay Signs.

The students under the guidance of Rotarian Ray Dixon have spent all winter repairing, stripping, painting and varnishing the boat learning the various skills of restoration and the use of both hand and power tools.

Following the completion of the work they have been getting used to the sea and learning how to sail and deliberating over a name all of which culminated in last Wednesdays launch.

Ray said that the project had again been a great success. Completing and sailing the boat added a new dimension to learning basic woodworking skills - the important thing was that they did it all themselves and the quality of the finished boat was excellent and it floated!

Photo

Gordon Trimmer Bexhill Sailing Club Principal with St Mary's Students Liam, Jason, Lizzie and Tim