I don't think anything could have prepared me for how special a trip with the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust really is. I'll do my best to put it into words.
The trip I attended was an under 18 first time trip sailing out of Largs. The trust also offers trips out of Cowes aswell as over 18 trips including return trips for those who catch the bug.
The trip was made up of 18 young people and 15 crew. I was aboard one of the trust's own boats 'Caledonian Hero' which was purchased thanks to Postcode Lottery players 5 years ago.
We got up to a lot.
We sailed from Largs to Port Bannatyne and back and managed to include rounders, bowls, crabbing, a dessert competition, a water fight, a karaoke party and a lot more - all into the 4 days.
I've not giggled as much as I did during the Karaoke in a long time!
The purpose of the trust really became apparent to me when I was putting away some of the dishes that the young people had kindly washed up. I paused as I heard them chatting above me on the foredeck.
This was the moment they started to discuss their cancer with each other, with young people their own age - something they all had never experienced before.
This was only the start of a flurry of conversations between them.
The karaoke party fueled an extra special moment with giggles and laughter where all the young people shared their funny and amusing stories from their cancer journeys. Something they've never been able to do because of the awkwardness that can arise and lack of understanding from those who haven't been through it themselves.
One young person said: "I'd never met anyone else with Hodgkin's disease before until I met Reuben. We were able to laugh and share our different experiences of our treatment."
Another young person said: "My best bit was being able to share our stories. You can't really do it with others because people can get awkward and it makes them uncomfortable. But here we've been able to openly talk about it and relate to one another. It's just been really nice."
The trips are always wrapped up with the young people and crew coming together in a big circle to share their best bit, worst bit and funniest bit. A fantastic way to say all the goodbyes and share the memories everyone's made.
So in the spirit of the trust, here are mine.
Best bit
My best bit was definitely meeting everyone involved. Putting a face to the names of everyone behind the scenes at EMCT and of course getting to know the young people and their stories. It's a special atmosphere and taught me a lot more than I was expecting.
Worst bit
It's more of the worst bit for everyone else than for myself. My rendition of California Girls by Katy Perry was definitely a sound for sore ears during the karaoke.
Funniest bit
My funniest bit was when Connor and Rueban pranked Callum during the hunt for dessert competition ingredients. Callum was in sheer horror of the lack of ingredients and amenities in Port Bannatyne - very different to Callum's usual Manchester city centre. After giving a long shopping list of snacks for 2 minutes after Connor and Rueban said they were going to the supermarket the look on Callum's face when he was told there was only a post office was a picture.
It's fair to say the trip has taught me a lot. It's amazing to see the sport that I know and love be used as a vehicle for something so rewarding and meaningful.