THREE charities have worked together to provide Pembrokeshire pupils with a unique opportunity within the Milford Haven waterway.

Thanks to the Tall Ships (Wales) Trust, The Island Trust and the Dragon LNG Darwin Experience, eight pupils from Ysgol Harri Tudur were able to spend a fully funded day aboard the Johanna Lucretia where they developed both their sailing and science skills.

From sweating and tailing to taking the helm, they were involved in every aspect of sailing the ship. By early afternoon it was time to deploy a large plankton net to collect samples for examination under the microscope.

Pupils recorded air and water temperature, they calculated the salinity of the water using a refractometer, got to grips with a Beaufort scale to assess the sea state and worked on their compass skills.

Once they had reeled the plankton net back in, their identification skills were put to the test. Pupils successfully identified crab larvae, polychaete worms, water fleas and barnacle larvae.

Their journey started and ended at Hobb’s point, making their way to Dale before returning back up the Cleddau.

The Johanna Lucretia had been brought to Pembrokeshire to celebrate Seafair Haven, a small boat river festival which has been running since 2006.

Samantha Williams, manager of the Darwin Experience said: “Teaming up with the Tall Ships (Wales) Trust and The Island Trust to motivate young people through sailing and science has been a great way to expose the young people of Pembrokeshire to a range of careers and volunteering opportunities at sea that they previously may not have imagined.”