2020 Swamp tests

Last Sunday we revised our Sunday Sailing practice to being swamp testing and safety drills.  The low tide that was coming in meant the channel was running at full speed and causing a strong rip in the area outside the den.  For that reason we decided sailing was not feasible, but we decided we could do our annual swamp test of the cutters.  This is a fun activity that requires scouts to sink the cutters and then leave them to float.  Flotation in the cutters ensures that they float quite high out of the water and we have to maintain these to ensure this height out of the water.

219 showing water just above the centre case

146 sitting only a little deeper than 219

83 failed.  This is not how a cutter should look in the water.

For completeness we put 83 through the same test and this result was expected.  New flotation is currently being made for it and should be installed in the next weeks.

The scouts also had some fun doing some safety drills:

• Pulling scouts out of the water and onto the boat
• Swimming under a kayak with your life jacket on
• Swimming and coming up underneath an overturned boat
• Swimming underneath a sail on the water

Alfie heading under the boat

Rose coming out from swimming under the sail

More pictures are available here:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/G941fFuvVXteDGnv7

2020 Levin Regatta

Lake Horowhenua was a blast!  During some times of the day that was literal.  The weather was a mix up of just about everything you can get up there.  We arrived to drizzle and a reasonably strong Northerly which felt like it was dying.  We got boats on the water and started sailing and it dropped to almost nothing.  After about half an hour of drifting around trying to find wind, we found some coming up from the South that grew into something quite strong.  Most of the boats went in after about an hour on the water.  

We all then settled down to have some sausages and hot drinks with Kotuku.  They were fantastic hosts and brought a great scouting spirit to what would otherwise have been a pretty non-descript event.

Special mention to Magnus, who lead the younger scouts through rigging, sailing and derigging with great maturity and attitude.

Racing across the lake

Magnus showing Zoe how to enjoy sailing

Calvin and Rose "Rowing under sail" during the lull

What it's all about!

More pictures here:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/Z5zy8PiPTeyWZmQK8