Mama and I rolled out of bed at sixish on a cold Sunday morning to get to Portsmouth in time to board the Prince William on our one day voyage. We were in ‘White Watch’ and were assigned a cot in the bowels of the ship that looked like a piece of half drain pipe that had been stretched to accomodate a body. We then started basic safety training.

Later, after a bacon butty, we headed back on deck for ‘up and over’. This involved scrambling ‘op the rigging’, clipping your safety harness onto a taut wire en route, standing briefly on the level of the first cross mast (it’s got a name, but I can’t remember what it is) gazing out at the view, and then making a wobbly descent. The portion of the steel rope ladder that involved climbing backwards in space I found particularly hairy.

Then we moved onto heaving on the ropes, letting out a bellow on each pull. I and three others heaved on one side of the ship, Mama and her team loosening the same ropes on the other. This allowed the cross pods to swivel around, which enables the sails to fill with wind.

While working we kept warm, but otherwise it was freezing. Given an opportunity to climb out onto the bowspit – the pointed bit at the front, with a net hanging below – Mama was out there like a shot, but I declined. I also declined a trip up and out onto the side pods to furl the sails. Blue Watch handled most of the ‘furling’, with an Irish geezer straight out of Master and Commander yelling out how it should be done from the deck below.

Lunch followed, and then more rope pulling. Much excitement all round. Eventually, we drifted back to port. There was a short video at the end showing clips from longer voyages in more pleasant climes.

All in all, I should say a ten day trip in the Caribbean or the Canaries would be great fun. They’re cheapish, if you get a last minute deal. All the volunteer crew who had done one of these rhapsoded about it. Okay food, plenty of hot showers, and good honest toil, are the order of the day.