Our learning journey began with an idea and someone willing to listen. Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board (LCETB) put their trust in us, supporting the construction of The Five Pilots through REACH funding and community education.

Under shipwright Steve Morris’s guidance, we built our boat while discovering what we could achieve together. That experience encouraged us to keep learning. In 2025, eight members earned their National Powerboat Certificate through Atlantic Powerboating, developing practical skills in safe boat handling and a better understanding of navigation, tides, and conditions on the water.

In 2026, 12 members completed VHF radio training with VHF.ie, passing their Department of Transport certified examinations and gaining certification in marine radio communication. As one learner reflected, “The new skills I learned on and off the water have given me such confidence and will stay with me forever”.

Following the course, we surveyed learners to understand what they had gained. Among the respondents, 100% reported a good understanding of safe and appropriate radio use, compared with none before the course. Confidence in sending a distress call also improved: 91% described themselves as very confident afterwards, compared with none beforehand.

The benefits extended beyond radio skills. Some 91% felt very confident asking questions, up from 36%, while 64% said the course encouraged them to take a more active role in the club. A further 36% said it might. Interest in continued learning grew too, with 91% very interested in further training, compared with 45% before the course. Result!

LCETB has been key to this progression, helping us turn enthusiasm into the knowledge and competence needed to look after one another. This is how we want to continue: always learning, always improving, and putting those skills to use. Our plans for 2027 include welcoming youth members, and we want to offer them the best example we can. By continuing our own education, we hope to show them that growth happens throughout life and that living far from major centres of learning need never mean being far from opportunity.