Online Expeditions:

The students decided to write their own narratives describing their own imaginary voyages, and came up with the wonderful writings below. Read their stories below.

Mairéad's Story:

My Voyage .

My name is Mairead Connell .I am twenty three years old .I am in Japan at the moment but am moving to the U.S.A in three days from now .I am just getting my stuff ready lik food and clothing .The weather here is quite dull .there is also a cold breeze . Everything is now ready

And I am just waiting for tomorrow .I will be staying in a very posh hotel tonight .It’s the morning now and I am rearing to go so I get my bags and go .I am now a quarter of the way to the U.S.A When a school of sharks start surrounding my tiny boat .I don’t see them clear in the water until I get to a shallow part of it .suddenly the leader of the sharks comes along and because my boat is wooden it bites it and breaks it in half .So I swim for my life to the branches nearby and just as Im about to climb up something touches my leg . Don’t worry its not a shark it’s a bit of wood .So I put my hand in my pocket to get my mobile but it got lost .Then I realise there was a camera on the boat so people back home could see what was happening so I just waited for help .My help came took me back to my hotel and that’s my voyage .

By Mairead C .

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Desmond's story:

It was a dark stormy night out in the middle of the sea. The wind had carried my boat off its intended course through the Indian Ocean. I had now given up rowing, and I had to use empty food cans to bail out the water, which was now up to my ankles. My E.T.A. at South Africa was five days ago, so my food supply was starting to run low. I had been using my torch all night, trying to make distress signals, so my batteries had now, finally worn out, so I needed to use the solar panels to charge them up again, so I really was looking forward to daybreak, in lots of ways.

The next morning I was tired from sleep deprivation, so I decided to take a nap. When I woke up again, the sea had calmed down a lot. I charged everything up using the solar panels, (including the torch batteries!) and I decided to go for a little swim. The sea was very warm. This indicated to me that I was near the equator. I got my salt water detector, and it told me that there were no salt in these waters. I must have been in a lake. I got my laptop and it said I had drifted down the river into Lake Malawi. I got back into the boat, and I got my oars out. I sailed down the river, and when I was starting to get back into the sea, darkness fell.

I now only had a small bit of food, (apart from the reserve supply) and there was a long way to go. I noticed there was a thunderstorm coming my way but I didn't worry as my systems were running well, so I should have been able to steer myself out of trouble, but for some strange reason, it seemed to suck me in. Then I started to worry.

I was just about fifty miles from my destination, when lightning struck my sticking up solar panels. I knew it would happen sooner or later, as they were the only things sticking up on the sea at the present moment.

My systems went haywire. The screens were bright and I could see them showing up stuff from deep into the computers' memory, and then, from the power overload, the screens went blank. My only way of communicating was my humble torch. I fixed it on a turret, and hoped for the best. Maybe I could find my way to land.

The next day I found myself wrecked against a rock in some gulf. The damages were repairable, but the sea was cold and I didn't have much of a repair kit. I tried fixing it anyway.

The next day, I had fixed the wood in place, (I only had a wooden boat) but I had to tar it, to make it waterproof. I decided it had to be tarred on both sides. So I got my tar out.

I tarred it on the side that wasn't touching the water, but I didn't know how I would tar it on the other. But then I remembered the rock that the boat was smashed on. I got my swimsuit on, and I put all the equipment in waterproof sacks. I then tied them to the rock. I hauled the boat up onto the rock, and I started tarring the underside.

I was now ready to go. I put all the equipment back into the boat; (it was still worth something, even after the earlier lightning strike). I also took down the solar panels, as they were no use anymore, and if there were more lightning to come, they would just attract it again.

Now, I didn't have any means of charging my batteries and I didn't have any food left, so I had to open the reserve supply. From it I got 3 sets of torch batteries, (which lasted 12 hours each) and I got enough food to supply me for 5 days, and that’s rationing it as far as it will go. I might starve.

A big oil tanker was taking oil from Asia to India. It stopped to offer me help. I said, "no thanks, I have to try and complete the voyage myself, with no help. Even if I don’t make it, at least I got close" He shouted through his megaphone, "Do you want food or communication equipment then?" I answered "No. That would be cheating!" So the ship fired its massive engines once again, and headed off into the distance. It might have been my first and last chance wasted.

I had now used up one quarter of the reserve supply, and there was a long way to go. I was very hungry. Maybe I should have got help from the tanker. It was starting to get worrying now, with only two sets of torch batteries, and three and a half days left of food. There was still no land in sight either. The next ship - if there is ever a next ship - would have to give me food and maintenance. The seas have been calm lately, so I should be pointing in the right direction to the docks, although I still might be completely off course, due to earlier storms. If my equipment worked, I could put myself back on course. However, earlier they had been struck by lightning. It was very lonely.

That was it. I couldn’t bear it any longer. I got so lonely, that I tried the million-to-one chance of fixing the computers so I could communicate with my relations. They were still in their waterproof sacks, so I unzipped them, got all the contents out, and after all that was done, I set it all up again. The next challenge was to make them work. The reserve supply gave me three sets of batteries for everything so it should last a while.

The next day, I had everything set up, complete, with batteries ready. It was now time to try it out. The satellite telephone was what I was going to use. It did not work the first time I tried it, but after many tries, it worked. When I heard my relative's voices, I thought they were strangers, because I had not heard them in ages. I spent about five hours talking to them. Then it was time to get back to work. I tried navigating with the laptop. It worked perfectly! How could they be working after the lightning strike?

I now could see land coming up over the horizon. I was nearly there. I had one day of food left, and a nights supply of batteries. I was moving faster than I thought, and just after an hour of rowing, I could see crowds of black and white people gathering to greet me. I finished what was left of my food, and I docked hungry, tired, painful, and happy!

THE END

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Tommy's Story:

It was the 20^th day of my five month voyage. I brought a rowing boat and four sets of oars. A

Current brought me way out to the very deep sea when I fell a sleep. About a hour later I woke up and pannicked, I did’nt know which way to go so I just picked a way to go at random. Suddenly Isaw four men coming towards me on jetskies. They stopped beside the boat and hopped into it. I asked them what their names were and where they came from but they didn’t say anything. Luckly enough I knew how to do sighn language. I asked them if they were any good at rowing, they said that they were all right bso I put them rowing, one at two oars and another one at two oars at the seat above the first one. They were only rowing about ten minutes and they said the seats of the boat were too hard, I replied Don’t be babies they will harden you up. Then I asked them if they knew where South Africa was, they said Yes, Then I asked them do you know where to get to it, they had a long think and said Yes. So it took them four months and ten days to get there. We were about two miles away from Cape Town and I threw them out of the boat and started rowing. When I got there everyone was so proud and they thought I rowed here myself.

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Aidan's Story:

I start off my voyage in my home county Mayo Ireland. I am going to row around the world. It is Friday I start my packing. I need to pack tinned foods, a mini barbecue a fridge to keep eggs, cheese, peppers and butter.
I²ve packed a spear for scaring away sharks. Saturday morning I set off. The first few miles are shattering but then I get used of it. Half way there its tiring I stop for a break I have a bite to eat. Finally I land in Washington D.C. .After a few months I fly to Los Angeles and the boat and oars get transported. I take off once again. I think I'm a bit scared becausethe wind is rising and the sea is getting rough. I stop rowing and lie down and go to sleep. I wake up in the morning. The sea is now calm. I pull up the oars and start sometimes doze while rowing. Its been three months its
really boring now but I keep rowing. Then I spot the first shark. Its a tiger shark. I shoot the spear I missed him but I scared him away. I land in Osaka Tokyo five months later. I spend two days here and then set off. I've
just noticed that there is a hole in the boat. I take the cork off a bottle and put it in the hole. This will only hold for a month.Luckily enough Taiwan is close so I stop in Tai-pei. I get the hole covered with a plank of wood and fibre glass. I set off from Taiwan aiming towards the Maldives. This trip nothing goes wrong thankfully. This time it takes me four months. It is unusual but I take a weeks break in the Maldives I set off tomorrow, for my next destination Lisbon in Portugal to pick up supplies. It took a lot longer than I thought going through the Suez Canal but I went though nine different countries which was a great experience on that part of my journey. Today I set off on the last leg of my journey Lisbon to Ireland. I
had a lot of celebrating and catching up to do with my family and friends.

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Teresa's story: My Voyage

My name is Teresa. My age is 10.I live near Inver National School. If I were sailing around the world the food I would bring would be tinned food fruit and hot drinks because it might be cold. The clothes I would bring would be a woolly jumper, a heavy coat, woolly socks to keep my feet worm and a good pair of strong boots. If it were hot weather I would bring cold drinks, and the clothes I would bring would be a pair of shorts and a light t-shirt. I think it would be beautiful to travel around the world on a boat because you get to see every place around you.

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Hello my name is John D. I am going to sail around Three Islands. I am going to sail, but I am going to be doing most of the work. I am saying this because I am going to row around these Islands. My boat is named Star and I will be rowing every day .

Well I have started and so far so good. I am sailing around the third island. Nothing has happened. I was having a very nice time out rowing. I had almost arrived. I mean it is a very silly story and I am afraid that no one would believe me if I told them. I knew I was going to beat the record. I was going along slowly when out from nowhere came a SHARK. He took half of the boat with him. The only way I could beat him now is with a gas bottle. I threw it into his mouth and poured petrol all over him. He exploded. I swam to the shore. I had broken the record without a boat!

The End.

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Lynsey's Story:

The Voyage

Monday 21st july.
Today was mad and very tiring. This morning I had to go to my sisters house and pick up my camera which she had borrowed on Saturday. Then I had to go home and pack my clothes. After lunch I had to bring my dog to my mother¹s
house and pick up Mary¹s luggage from her house. Finally to the pier. Mary was already there and Paul was bringing a box of food onto the boat, Mary was saying goodbye to Paul. Finally we were off and in a few hours very tired
and sleepy. Mary suggested we let down the anchor and have a rest. We both went to bed and soon fast asleep. I woke up to get a drink and heard a very loud bang, the boat began to shake! Mary woke up very startled and alert and
started to glance around the room. I grabbed a kitchen knife and a frying pan. Mary was putting shoes on and a coat.I went up on deck I looked in the water and all I could see was water I got the torch. Another bang but this time louder! Mary screamed and then silence! I looked down the stairs they were flooding rapidly. I looked at the water it was RED! Then I spotted Mary¹s chain I fished it out I bursted out in tears. I quickly grabbed the flare gun and fired it up into the air. I just went totally mad I stood there screaming help I fired the flare gun again. I ran for the lifeboat and threw it over the side. I started to clamber down the ladder and into the lifeboat. Suddenly all I could see were teeth!
I rose up my hand and stabbed the shark in the side of his mouth again and again! The shark started to lash out at me. I ould hear a sound of the helicopter wishing it would hurry up. Eventually the helicopter got there, I cried all the way home. All I could think about was Mary.

THE END.
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Stephen's Story:

My Voyage
Today get ready for my trip from Weipa in Australia to South
Africa. I have to pack a lot of things. This is my list:

I have to bring a lot of
colthes to change,food and fruit
to eat ,a fishing rod to fish whenever I want. I need to bring water to drink because I cannot drink
the sea water and an oven to cook my food in. I also need a sleeping bag to sleep in and a toilet to go
when I want. I must bring my laptop to email the children and a digital camera to
take pictures of anything that I see. I also need;

Shampoo,shaving gear soap and towels to wash myself.

First aid for if I get hurt. A radio system to keep in touch with
other boat friends.

A shark gun uncase a shark tries to eat me. Life jackets in case
the boat sinks or I fall over board.

And a anchor to stop the boat at
night.

A
lamp to see at night.