Harbouring Potential
Harbouring Potential
Excelsior LT472 is the last representative of Lowestoft’s sail trawling fishing fleet and was active until the 1930s and the takeover of steam ships. Even though she has been faithfully restored and proudly sails with historic faithfulness to the period she continues as a working vessel taking young people out to sea for sail training adventures.
A History of Training for the Future
Since her commissioning by HRH the Princess Royal in 1988, the Excelsior, the Excelsior Trust has touched over 10,000 trainees, many of whom have returned decades later to reminisce about the impact the boat has had on them. Inspired by their introduction to life at sea, a number of her former trainees and volunteers have gone on to forge careers in the marine industry, both in sail training and in the commercial sector.
A Community Development Project
The Excelsior Trust continues this sail training tradition by launching a community development project that brings local young and unemployed people together with the principle marine employers in the East Anglian area, to raise awareness of careers in the marine fields and to reinvigorate enthusiasm for the local opportunities all these companies represent.
Introducing Maritime Careers
The Excelsior Trust recognises that locally there is both a high unemployment rate and a high staff shortage in the maritime sector. We are working with our marine industry partners to offer young people in the region the opportunity to voyage aboard Excelsior and learn about the many roles open to them.
A Voyage for 24 Learners
At the end of September 2023, Excelsior hopes to sail with 24 young people (12 on the way there, 12on the way back) to the port of Ipswich. The voyage will be led by one of our relief skippers, a workboat skipper from the Njord Crew Transfer Vessels, and will take a route past a wind farm to see boats at work. We will also be sailing past Felixstowe to demonstrate other commercial traffic and discussing how the maritime industry is vast and diverse and can offer a range of job opportunities for people with different skill sets and education levels. Participants will experience life on board and be inspired by fun, hard work and stories of work at sea.
An Introduction to Local Opportunities
On return to Lowestoft, we will host a recruitment day and buffet hopefully at the Royal Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club, with an open invitation to the voyage participants, and anyone interested who didn’t manage to go on the trip. We are asking other local companies if they will offer tours of their vessels, and/or send a representative who can give information about the opportunities they can offer.
Women in Maritime Careers
The Excelsior Trust also supports and encourages women in the maritime sector, and we are proud that Excelsior’s first female full-time Skipper is spearheading this proposal. We see this as a pilot project with the potential for regular sessions and day sails for those who might find barriers to entry in the maritime fields.
The Excelsior Trust’s Goal is to Inspire and Guide
The aim of this event is to put a friendly face to local employers and to demonstrate how the Lowestoft’s heritage is not just a part of the past but is also shows young people a positive and exciting path to the future in maritime careers. This day will provide information and inspiration, and build relationships between us all.
Our Past Leads to Their Future
Many Lowestoft residents are descended from former fishermen and have a direct connection to the town’s past major industry. With The Excelsior Trust’s proposed project, we aim to use Lowestoft’s own living example of working maritime history to inspire a sense of pride in our own maritime heritage, and get people excited about following in the footsteps of past generations to consider a career at sea.
