Annual Report 2002

This page was updated on: Tuesday, October 20, 2009

I was personally rather embarrassed to find I had been nominated for the Nationwide Meridian Region Award for Voluntary Endeavor. TV. and the Media made a great thing of it, however it was quickly eclipsed when 18 year old Christopher Taggart was the finalist in the U.K. Charities Young Volunteer of the year.

Christopher joined the Venturers at 14, and passed his RYA Level 1 and 2, Rescue Boat Coxswain, VHF Operators License, and First Aid. At 18 he also passed the exams to become what could be one of the youngest RYA Instructors.

Christopher's RYA training in the Venturers helped getting him posted to 17 Port and Maritime Regiment, where he is able to put his skills to a practical use. He also continues on free weekends as a Rescue Boat Coxswain with the Venturers, and training younger Cadets.

The front photograph show our new RIB Training Boat "Knight Errant Venturer" anchored off Sark C.I. It replaced a similar type which we obtained from the RNLI, which was vandalized beyond repair.

Although it was mostly funded by a legacy, it was a disappointment that once again we failed to get support from the Lottery, especially as Sport England published a joint initiative document with the RYA, which gave priority to larger more powerful RIBS, which could be used to introduce young people to Power Boating as a sport, and could also be used for Rescue.

The letter acknowledged the good work we do with under privileged young people, but the project offered little potential to develop opportunities for under represented groups, so did not meet their target group.

It is perhaps fortunate that the Independent Charitable Trusts generous support enabled us to meet the shortfall. As they are not involved with the "Politically Correct Dogma " of the Lottery Funds.

The new RIB now enables us once again to go " Deep Sea " and train teenagers in advanced Navigation and Seamanship. In August I took three 15 year old Venturers across the Channel to Alderney, Herm, Sark, Guernsey, Jersey, St. Malo, the small French fishing port of Barfleur, and finally St. Vaast. The initial crossing to Alderney was quite rough, and the run down to Guernsey in nil visibility was a good test of accurate navigation.

At the end of the ten days I gave them sole command, and with the electronic navigation equipment turned off, gave them the task of working out a course and tidal drift to the Nab Tower just East of the I.O.W. with no help from myself.

To their credit, and perhaps sense of achievement they arrived dead on course. While in St. Malo they applied the correct life saving first aid to a man who collapsed on the beach with a severe asthma attack, until the arrival of an Ambulance.

The calm weather this year has reduced the number of rescues, although we provided safety cover for a large RYA Dinghy event with children from 8 years to adults and the annual 'Round The Island Race' with several thousand yachts taking Part.

We also did the same for the various Power Boat races. Our pumps prevented a motor cruiser called "Spank a Monkey" from sinking, and we gave courtesy tows to several yachts aground, including a 45' ketch which went the wrong side of a South Cardinal Danger Mark.

In our role as official search and rescue for the New Forest we had two calls from the Police to search for two boys missing overnight in the Forest, and a old gentleman who had cycled off from home. All found alive and well.

There Has been a further proposed development with the Police, with a project to put a Special Constable in our Landrover when we go out on bad weather Patrol, removing fallen trees or rescuing motorists stranded in floods.

RYA Training under Ex Lifeboat Coxswain Naill McDonald, our chief RYA Instructor, has seen one boy pass his Safety Boat Coxswain Exams, two their level 2 and one his Advanced Seamanship, which includes night navigation.

Our First Aid Instructor Niel Crouch has been busy teaching new recruits, and 6 also passed their Appointed Persons First Aid with the Haven Ambulance Training Centre.

Generous sponsorship from a person who would like to remain anon, allowed us to ship our Landrover on a roll-on ferry to California, where three 14 year old Cadets had the experience of a lifetime, exploring the Old Wagon Trails of the Wild West.

Sleeping at night round the campfire, bacon and beans for breakfast with the coffee pot bubbling in the embers was like going back in time. We met the US Coast Guard, Sheriffs Department, Fire Service and learned something of the real American way of life.

Stopping one night at a Motel where there were about 100 young girls, had them knocking on the boys door at 6 am in the morning. Apparently they love to hear their British accent. Good job we arrived late the previous night.

An American Jeep Club under the leadership of Trail Guide Raymond David provided a escort for 120 mile old wagon route from Needles to Bastow desert journey which would not be safe on your own.

We used the trip to make a GPS survey of the route, and came across interesting relics of the Pioneer days, Indian Petrography and a pioneer wagon wheel fossilized in the sun baked ground.

The remains of a stone fort, with a sign saying this was the 'harshest posting for any young soldier and had the highest desertion rate'.

Crossing the treacherous Soda Lake, where there is only one hard trail, every persons adds a small rock to a cairn in the centre, which has a old Brass sign stating "on this site in 1897 Nothing Happened", along the trail Raymond took a detour to Goffs School House, on land which was donated by a Englishman.

Dennis Casebier and his wife have devoted their lives to its restoration, and are in the process of finding and getting working old steam mining machinery as a museum.

The area was also used by General Patton to train his Armoured Division and you can still find traces of equipment in the sand.

We were also involved in two incidents, a light aircraft which crashed landed in Death Valley, and a family whose truck and large trailer were bogged down in the Imperial Valley sand dunes.

Our Landrover winch soon recovered them, to the exclamation "My friends will never believe I was rescued by a British Search and Rescue Team". F.A.B.

I will not mention the boys embarrassment when a visit to a 'Hot Spring' way out in the boon dogs of Death Valley, was found to be inhabited by colony dating back to the days of the Hippies where clothes were optional.

Although the lady who did a fire dance was interesting.

Marina's often get a bad press; but on the other side Ken Jones Manager MDL Hythe Marina Village has offered us free winter storage for 'Knight Errant Venturer'. Their excellent security will prevent this boat being vandalized while ashore.

For 2003 our only problem will be the replacement of the Diesel Engine in our smaller Inflatable Rescue boat.

The boat is used to train our younger Cadets, and when they pass their RYA Level 2,; allow them the ultimate challenge of taking it out on Patrol.

The boat is 22 years old and the engine is giving endless problems. Several years ago it was hoped to replace the complete boat; but the project was again turned down by the lottery.

We are also looking to see if our facilities and expertise can be of use to other organizations such as "Fairbridge" which supports inner city youth.

Finally for the private individuals who send us a donation; may I mention that under new Charity Tax Laws, Gift Aid for any sum no matter how small. A note to say " I ........... wish that tax may be recovered from the enclosed gift, and any future gift from me unless I let you know the contrary. I am a tax payer. Signed............ We can recover the tax element and increase the value of your donation.

With my sincere thanks to all our Friends and Charitable Foundations who have made the Venturers possible.

Yours Very Sincerely

P. G. Pearce-Smith MBE VSC
Hon Executive Officer