Myself, and three amputees were initially set to join the JST pre-Covid for a ten-day trip around the Greek isles, but alas, it wasn’t to be – the pandemic put paid to that.

I was so disappointed but understood that the world had come to a standstill; for two years I didn’t know what the future was going to bring.

Imagine my surprise, and delight, when I got an email from JST asking if I’d like to join the Tenacious for a 7-day voyage leaving Portsmouth on the 10th August. I immediately replied that I’d love to.

Unfortunately, my previous companions couldn’t make it, but that didn’t deter me for a second, opportunities like this don’t grow on trees and I jumped at the chance.

Flying down from Glasgow with equal parts trepidation and excitement I joined the rest of the crew in Portsmouth.

It was really a baptism of fire, as we all found out our groups and got involved with every aspect of the ship from the first minute.

It’s been a rollercoaster ride, but exciting and rewarding in equal measures. Getting to know everyone on the ship was daunting, but our welcome and camaraderie has been integral from the start.

It’s been wonderful to feel so involved in every aspect of the sail, from mess duties, to putting the sails up and everything in-between.

Our journey so far, has taken us from anchoring off Jersey to welcoming a French pilot on board to guide us into the beautiful port of St. Malo, where we stayed for two nights and managed to explore this beautiful town.

I’ve got two days left before I must fly back up to Glasgow and I’m enjoying every second before I have to disembark.

This is the experience of a lifetime for me and I can’t recommend it enough. This should be on everyone’s bucket list, and I’m so glad I got the opportunity to be involved.

Stephen.