Canvas furled but still impressive, a group of Furness youngsters sailed into Barrow in October 1996 aboard the tall ships that had been their homes for the past week.

After a voyage up the coast from Liverpool, the Ocean Youth Club ketches were greeted by a large crowd.

Pressure in the water on the channel-side of the Dock Museum’s gates meant the ships holding off for an hour until the gates could be opened.

When conditions eventually changed for the better, the Francis Drake and her sister ship the Greater Manchester Challenge, were able to make a successful berthing in the museum’s dock.

The appearance of the sun brought visitors eager to see the vessels close up - and crowds turned out to watch them leave as Jubilee Bridge opened to let them through.

The two ketches were used to give youngsters a taste of life aboard the ocean wave and stimulate a thirst for adventure.

They sailed from the Dock and picked up another batch of youngsters from Ramsden Dock for a week-long trip at sea.

In 1999 youngsters from Barrow schools were preparing for an adventure voyage of a lifetime aboard a sailing training yacht.

It was the fourth consecutive year the Ocean Youth Club had sent its 80ft yacht Greater Manchester Challenge to Barrow.

The programme included an open day, with the yacht on show in the basin at Barrow’s Dock Museum.

The charity had sailing yachts posted around Britain crewed by experts to give youngsters of both sexes aged from 12 to 16 adventure training afloat.

In September 1999 18 youngsters, including seven girls, were going on the Furness voyages.

Six of the young people would leave Barrow's John Winnerah Institute by minibus for Liverpool, where they would join the yacht for a six-day voyage around the Irish Sea, finishing in Barrow on Saturday, September 25.

On September 26, there would be an Open Day, when mayor Jean Waiting would be among those meeting the youngsters.

Twelve more youngsters would board the yacht for a six-day voyage starting on Monday, September 27.