Tectona Trust change people's lives for the better; providing sail training voyages of personal discovery.

The Trust focuses on helping those in mental health or addiction recovery, as well as young people wanting to meet the best versions of themselves. All gain experience of succeeding in teams and the exhilaration of personal responsibility, while living outdoors on a beautiful traditional sailing ship off the inspiring south west coast of Cornwall and Devon.

Tectona is currently undergoing a significant refit, to make her even more suited to the requirements of the crews she now caters for. While Tectona is temporarily out of action the Trust has been loaned the stunning 114 year old gaff rigged Bristol Channel pilot cutter 'Olga' by Swansea Museum.

The sooner Tectona's refit is complete the more people the Trust will be able to cater for and the more lives will be enriched. The work is being assisted by an enthusiastic crew of volunteers - many of whom have been inspired by sailing on Tectona (or Olga) and wish to contribute to her future success and set her up for the next 100 years of her career. The target for completion is March 2024.

On June 17th 'Cookie' (aka 'Cooking Fat') and I are entering the 2023 Eddystone Pursuit to raise funds for Tectona's refit. Although tiny at just 21ft Cookie was, for many years, the smallest catamaran to circumnavigate in the capable hands of her builder and sailing legend Rory McDougall. Rory & Cookie also finished second in the 2010 Jester transatlantic challenge - a self-supported solo adventure from Plymouth to Newport Rhode Island, and back - when she was also raising money to support sailing based youth development off Devon.

As she has crossed the Atlantic three times and ‘been around the world’ I'm hoping Cookie will look after me for the day-trip out to the Eddystone lighthouse and back on the 17th June.