A group of Scouts has set up camp on a floating raft in a bay in Xemxija after spending nine hours building the structure as part of a weekend of fun and adventure.

It’s the first time since 2019 that the group has been able to set up their camp at sea after the COVID-19 pandemic and bad weather last year stopped the annual event.

The 15- to 18-year-olds from Mosta Scout Group began their day of hard work on Thursday with an early 7am start to build the raft before finally setting sail at around 4pm.  

Scout leader, Sean Bartolo, said the group had a “beautiful sleep” on the raft as it floated on Fekruna Bay before waking to a gorgeous sunrise as they settled into life at sea.

The raft itself has been reused from previous years but it has to be reconstructed each time with 100 rope lashings, 40 wooden staves, 30 large tanks, and 10 sheets of marine plywood.

“I am super proud this year they are able to continue this event, despite earlier challenges of bad weather last year, and COVID the years before,” Bartolo said.

The floating camp first set sail in 2014 as a single raft, before adapting into a double raft in 2015, although bad weather meant that year’s camp was abandoned just after the raft went out to sea.

Throughout the year, the Scouts learn skills such as knots and lashes, which are put to use during the four-day experience.

Mosta Scout Group is known for taking part in unusual challenges such as an abseiling marathon of Malta’s highest bridge in 2013 and their annual abseil of the walls of Mater Dei dressed as superheroes in December.