'Chance Of A Lifetime Voyage - 2 IN 2002'
Portsmouth to Birkenhead 2002
Following in the footsteps of the earlier trips, with the financial assistance of the National Lottery, 2 ships ran from 20th August to the 1st September, 2002 for a larger group of 90 of Wirral's deserving young people aged between 16 and 24 years.
For 2002 the STS Winston Churchill had been replaced by a new ship, Prince William which will join last year's new ship STS Stavros S. Niarchos. This also meant that there was room for 90 young people for the 2002 voyages.
Early morning on Tuesday, the 20th both crews travelled from Birkenhead to Portsmouth (courtesy of Arriva Buses), there they joined their respective ships. The ships trained crews for a short period of time.
On board the crews were divided into three teams, or watches and a police officer assigned to each group as a Mentor. Other Police Officers also took part as the Ships' voluntary Crew, sailing as Navigator, Purser, Assistant Engineer, Deck Hands, Cooks' Assistants and Watch Leaders. Furthermore the 2 Paramedics from Mersey Regional Ambulance also agreed to sail as Ship's 1st Aid. In the case of Steve Harrison on the Stavros S. Niarchos his services were needed as a crew member suffered a heart problem which necessitated his Emergency Airlift by HM Coastguard to hospital in Dorset.
On the 21st they set sail across the English Channel to Cherbourg, arriving together on the Thursday.
Stavros trainees on the rib in Cherbourg 
An organised night out on the town at a very hospitable French hostelry allowed the 2 crews to get to know each other socially.
Prince William leaves Cherbourg ahead of the Stavros
On the Friday they again left together and made their way separately to Plymouth. The watches were ke[t busy with navigating as we crossed the shipping lanes in the English Channel.
For many there was the beauty of sunsets at sea.
Both ships arrived at Plymouth early on Saturday the 24th with the trainees manning the 'yards' and singing and chanting with a very competitive spirit between the 2 ships. Both ships then took pride of place in the Royal Navy 'Navy Days' weekend and were open to the public. During the Saturday and Sunday 1700 members of the public were shown around both ships by the trainees, who acquitted themselves very well describing their ships in detail with newly found pride and knowledge.
Saturday and Sunday saw opportunities for people to visit Naval Ships including private guided tours of the nuclear hunter killer sub, HMS Trafalgar and also the helicopter support and hospital ship, RFA Argus. A few even got trips from the Royal Marines in their Rapid Raider assault boats.
On the Sunday evening they left Plymouth together, again with the yards manned by the trainees. The third leg was to sail down the Cornish coast as far as the Scilly Isles.
Watch Leader, Martin sizes up the Prince William after leaving Plymouth 
White Watch with Prince William in background
Off the coast of the Scilly Isles the 2 ships passed each other for a photo-shoot.
Stavros' photographer Suzi gets caught :-)
At Scilly the Northerly wind forced us to motor up to Waterford, Eire. Again both sets of trainees manned the yards for the river passage to Waterford. Waterford Rugby Club must be thanked for the way they made us all welcome.
They left Waterford the next day to be greeted to the first bit of rough weather as a South Westerly Force 7 had blown up and allowed them to sail.
Whilst in the St. Georges Channel a pod of Dolphins played around the Stavros' bows for an hour or so which drew a crowd to watch them
Saturday was a bright and sunny day giving distant views of Anglesey and the North Wales coast before the pilotage up the Mersey under the eye of Merseyside Police's new helicopter.
The trip ended in the Birkenhead docks with a welcome from friends and families lining the quay.
Following their arrival at Birkenhead Docks the crews cleaned and tidied their ships and were then transported to a 'secret' location on the Wirral for the end of voyage celebration.
The crews 'paid off' on the following morning. From all accounts many rushed home to catch up on much needed sleep - for several days!
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