LOCAL student Joce Hopkins has recently returned to Llangovan after an exhilarating 10 day voyage aboard the Sail Training Association's new tall ship, the Prince William.
Joce, a former pupil of Haberdashers' Monmouth School for Girls, was one of 48 trainees joining a small professional crew on the Prince William's maiden voyage from London to Cardiff.
Dedicated to enhancing the personal development of young people, the aim of the Sail Training Association is to introduce them into life in a small maritime community, learning to manoeuvre a complex array of sail, rigging and booms as well as carrying out ship routines.
Said Joce: "As soon as you come aboard everyone is invited to go aloft. It's not forced upon anyone but is recommended for the experience. Usually people who were apprehensive about going up the first day are whizzing up and down in high winds during the voyage.
"My proudest achievement was climbing up the t'gallon yard (second from the top) in strong winds and having to stow the sail. Not only have you got to sort the sail but you have a hard time keeping upright!"
Although Joce wasn't seasick, she did feel queasy for the first two days and one of the hardest moments on the voyage was having to clean the toilets while feeling under par.
"The funniest moment was seeing the Captain get soaked by us throwing buckets of water at her and the easiest was soaking up the glorious sun on a peaceful afternoon," said Joce.
Various intership competitions were held during the voyage, including a tug of war.
"We also had the egg drop. The watch had to design a package that the egg could be placed inside so that when thrown from half way up the masts stayed intact. Whoever's egg was intact and travelled the furthest on the deck won."
Joce, who has been accepted at Southampton University to study physiotherapy, said the tall ships' experience had taught her "how to cope with others when you don't always agree with them or appreciate what they say. The boat is a great place for getting stuck in and on with the task in hand. Teamwork is the key and it's so satisfying and more fun when you work together."
For anyone who would like more information about the Sail Training Association, the local contact is John Harris on 01291 625645.