Having completed two voyages we were ready to hang our sailing boots up for the season... until we got a phone call from Sail Training Ireland, our national sail training body. They were running a sailing week from Glandore to Cork from 24-28 August 2015 and asked if we would like to nominate three of the participants.
We identified a new local partner in Cork working with the migrant and refugee community: NASC - the Irish immigrant support centre. One of their staff, legal officer Aoife Dare, worked on the project on a voluntary basis out of hours. She selected three young trainees, all of whom are resident in Direct Provision in Cork. Together with four young men from Cork, the seven trainees embarked on the vessel in Glandore and had a sunny and blustery week's sailing up the Cork coast right into the city itself.
The group all took to sailing like ducks to water, and made firm friends to boot. Last we checked they were planning to create their version of the viral sensation spoof rap video "I'm on a boat"...watch this space!