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Richard Kemball-Cook, KSA member and the owner of the yacht smack Lucy B, is also a part-qualified psychotherapist and volunteers as a youth worker at the Rising Sun Domestic Abuse and Violence Service, which is a local charity in Kent that provide services for women, children and families who are affected by domestic violence. He is involved with programmes that give 5- to 18-year-olds a safe place where they can simply 'be themselves' instead of having to cope with what may be serious family strife. Here is Richard's account of a trip held at the end of summer.

"It had been a lovely summer, with every day a scorcher: but today there was a Force 7 gale coming in from the southwest. I turned my face to the wind and saw the rain clouds massing. We were in the car park at Harty Ferry on the Swale. In line with the Kentish Sail Association’s aim to introduce children to traditional sailing craft, their committee were only too happy to contribute £500 to support the day. We were about to board the Thames Sailing Barge (TSB) Orinoco, with committee members ‘Frog’ as Skipper and Geoff, and Jim as Mate.
The young men sheltering in their cars, each with a parent, were from the Rising Sun's adolescent group of youngsters. This trip had been planned as a fun day out for them. When youth workers Rob, Ben and I coaxed the ten youngsters from out of their cars they still seemed in challenging moods. Nevertheless, with the wind at our heels we started the walk down the long causeway out into the estuary, towards the small tender that was to take us out to Orinoco.
We climbed up the blackened side of this 150-year-old sailing vessel while she lay at anchor. As the wind rose and the rain came in the newcomers explored the old craft. Slowly they began to see that today might be different from what they'd expected. They descended below deck to see comfy sofas, a familiar kitchen, the snug cabins: a place of calm while all hell seemed to be breaking loose above deck. I saw each of the youngsters having their eyes figuratively opened. This place was an alternate sanctuary for them that wasn't dependent on their coping mechanisms. For once they could just be themselves.
Back out on deck we all got wetter and wetter. The wind was far too strong for us to go anywhere; instead, we stayed safely anchored and out came some crab lines. (It was just as well that I’d stopped at Sainsburys earlier and bought some mackerel for bait!)
Soon enough the weather changed. The youngsters pulled on the winch handles to raise the huge anchor and a little sail was set; then they went on to heave on the lines to set the headsail and off we went in search of seals. Amusingly, it seemed the wetter the youngsters were, the happier they were!
It was a dramatic day for all, and when we returned to shore after the day's adventure it seemed we had different children. 
I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall during some of the journeys home. It certainly was good to have been part of the enlightening experience."

The KSA now has an Instagram account. You can follow it @kentishsailassociation. There are some beautiful photos from this year's match, and we will look to adding some images from the archives in the winter months.

The KSA have produced a beautiful new leaflet explaining the aims of the association and giving a little explanation of the various types of traditional craft to be found around the Kentish shores. It includes a stunning chart with sketches of local craft and details of extant vessels.

If you're interested in finding out more and perhaps joining the KSA send for your brochure to:
julian.mannering@gmail.com
and I will pop a copy in the post.

The Gillingham Sea Scouts had a weekend at sea on Morning Star of Revelation, the gaff-rigged training vessel based at Chatham, at the end of May. The weekend was sponsored by the KSA as part of its remit to encourage young people to learn traditional sailing skills and they had, by all accounts, a wonderful couple of days. See their note below.
Next month the Faversham Sea Scouts are due to have another day on Greta, paid for by the KSA, where they too will get an insight into handling a Thames barge.
The KSA have been fortunate to have received terrific support from a wide range of people and organisations who have donated prizes for our Quiz Nights which have taken place at the Anchor pub for the last three years. We also have received generous donations towards the costs of the Swale Match form individuals and from sponsors and advertisers. Our thanks to them all.

After a combination of successful matches, quiz nights and sales of merchandise the KSA has been delighted to be able to carry on the support of local youth groups and help young people get afloat, particularly on traditional vessels. Last year we were able to help the Faversham Sea Scouts have a day aboard the barge Greta, and a hot August day could only offer the best conditions for young scouts finding their sea legs.
We have also been able to contribute towards the costs of getting some Faversham Sea Cadets afloat on the Maritime Trust vessels and one of their number had a trip at the end of the year.
We intend to continue this support in 2017 and we are, of course, grateful to our members, our sponsors and advertisers, the participants who come each year to the Swale and the committee members who organise all the events and who make all this financial support possible.
Thanks also to the 8th Faversham Sea Scout Troop for their very charming letter of appreciation to the KSA enclosing a fine collection of photos, one of which is posted here.


Faversham Sea Scouts learn the ropes on Greta in August 2016.

Lena Reekie, the longest serving of our committee members, presented the Faversham Sea Cadets with a cheque for £1,000 on Tuesday 8th March. This represents money raised by the KSA over recent years which is intended for young people in order to help them get afloat and attain some competence in handling craft. The money will go towards the costs of sending young cadets to sea on one of the Maritime Trust and Sea Cadet vessels later in the year. They go to sea for a week and experience every aspect of crewing and of life onboard.
Funds have also been set aside for the Faversham Sea Scouts and this is to be presented to them shortly.