Sunday 28th August 2013 was the day months of planning brought together the Units of Central District of Southern Area Sea Cadets for annual camp. Staff and cadets from Worthing, Littlehampton, Bognor, Chichester, Portsmouth, Gosport, Ryde and Cowes units descended upon the SERFCA facility at Jersey Camp, Porchfield, IOW for a week of multi adventurous activities. After much adjustment of the travel plan the 64 cadets and 29 staff settle into their first night on camp eager for the fun to begin.
On Monday bright and early after a hearty breakfast the cadets were mustered in their respective groups to meet their instructors and get a flavour of the week ahead.
PO Danny Murphy headed up the team delivering a week of adventurous activities bringing together his knowledge and skills in both mountain biking and climbing to give 12 cadets a taste of the new discipline recently introduced into the Sea Cadet Corp. Monday was about acquainting cadets with staff and learning to work together as a team, which proved to be invaluable as the week progressed.
By the end of Monday all returned to camp exhausted by with a big smile and thankfully only minor cuts and bruises.
Again Tuesday was off to an early start, the offshore away to make the most of the tides getting out of the River Medina into the Solent. The rowers were at Island Harbour Marina expanding on the basic principles learnt the previous day, working hard towards British Rowing Authority accreditation and SCC pulling qualifications. The cadets and staff worked hard all week, sometimes in conditions less than favourable for rowing a boat. The cadets using the available rowing craft were able to hone their skills in both team and individual rowing. The power boaters spent the day on the River Medina practising the skills needed to hopefully attain RYA qualification - this involved a lot of bumping into the static objects within the river and even some moving objects. The paddlers spent all day practising staying upright then practicing what to do if unable to stay upright. The mountain bike team used all day Tuesday to put into practice the basic skills learnt the previous day. Danny along with the other 4 instructors and 12 cadets rode the Tennyson Trail through Brighstone Downs during the morning. The team did a 10 Kilometre run up and down some steep terrain arriving at Carisbrooke Castle in time to enjoy a well-earned lunch. After lunch it was back on the bikes to retrace the route taken in the morning, stopping on the way to enjoy the thrills the woods on the downs offered. The team returned to camp that night completely exhausted, caked in mud, soaked to the skin, sore in places that had never been sore before, bruised and battered but having loved every minute.
Wednesday saw the AT team hang up their helmets and cycle clips to start two days of rock climbing. Danny supported by CPO (SCC) Joelle Lewis and PO (SCC) Linden Softey took the 12 cadets to the indoor climbing wall at the PGL site on the IOW. There the cadets spent the day getting to grips with the basic principles of rock climbing and climbing the various different faces of the indoor wall. In the afternoon the team ventured out to the 40 metre high climbing wall which also allowed them to have a taste of abseiling.
Thursday, for a real sense of adventure, the team relocated to Garlic Field near Shanklin to take on the challenge of a 10 metre sandstone rock face. This proved a great end to two days of rock climbing, and the cadets returned to camp with huge smiles and tales of adventures worthy of any great expedition.
Overall the week was a great success with each cadet not only have tales of adventure to share with family and friends but a basic mountain bike qualification and basic rock climbing qualification, and with one last question - when is the next course.
