Young Carers Barge Trip 2014

Voyage of Cambria May 30 to June 1 2014

The  Rotary Club of Wickford recently sponsored a voyage of SB Cambria, a Thames Barge built in 1906 which sails out of Gillingham in Kent . About 10 times per year Cambria is available to Rotary clubs to sponsor a group of Young Carers to spend a weekend voyage in  the Rivers Medway and Thames.

Across the UK young people often have to take on additional responsibility at home and  provide care and support for a close family member. The Young Carers of Basildon district are supported by youth support workers to give respite in their care responsibilities, in the form of a youth club which operates out of the Downtowner in Wickford,  and it was from here that a group of eight young people were given the opportunity of joining this trip.

SB Cambria is a 94 ft long Thames Barge, which served its last commercial voyage as recently as 1976, and was renovated in 2011 and converted to carry passengers instead of cargo.

Skipper Ian, Mate Mick and 3rd hand Reggie took us through a safety briefing and  then introduced the group to the barge itself,  and what their responsibilities would be on the voyage.

High tide at 3.30 in the morning meant an early start with all of the young people ended up pulling ropes, winding winches and so on to get the barge going, and we sailed down the Medway and saw sunrise over the Isle of Sheppey at 4am, sailing for the day on the Thames , and returning to anchor in the Medway mid afternoon.  

Lots of activities over the weekend included knot tying lessons, walking the 38ft bowsprit, climbing the 50 ft mast and learning how to drive the outboard motor barge boat, before we prepared the barge for the return journey. Certainly a weekend to be remembered for many years to come.

Amanda Rawlings, Youth support worker said