Ex COCKNEY SAILOR XXXVIII Ulysses Trust Report
Adventurous Training is a key part of a military career and of the ULOTC experience. It allows OCdts to gain new skills and experiences and build their qualifications in these activities. This summer 2 OCdts completed their RYA Competent Crew qualification and 1 received his RYA Coastal Skipper ticket. This means that these OCdts have the qualifications between them to take novices sailing for a week, an incredible opportunity for their personal development and great fun while they are at it!
Exercise Diary
Monday
We rendezvoused in Handel Street in the early afternoon and after some last-minute printing, set off for the drive down to Gosport. We picked up the week’s food shop and any last-minute kit before taking over our home for the next week. We quickly got ourselves situated before the evening meal and the necessary briefs, making sure we were ready for the arrival of our instructor the next morning!
Tuesday
It was an early start this morning, getting the boat ready for sea before the instructor, Maj Hackett arrived and the Bosun arrived for the formal HOTO. Unfortunately, once the Bosun arrived, the realisation that the heads were completely blocked delayed matters slightly. It did however, provide significant amusement for the crew as they watched the Bosun dismantle the pipes for the heads, with the built-up pressure discharging over a clean white T-shirt!
Once the morning’s maintenance was complete, Maj Hackett outlined the plan for the week ahead as we would be covering the RYA Competent Crew syllabus for the novices and RYA Coastal Skipper course for our Mate. We then slipped from our marina and headed into the harbour where we put the sails up and did some tacking and gybing drills – essentially turning the boat! We picked up a mooring buoy for a very civilized lunch before talking about the points of sail and steering the boat.
We slipped from our mooring buoy, completed some reefing drills and then headed over to JSASTC to do some ‘pontoon bashing’ which we learnt meant practicing coming alongside again and again until we were a well-oiled machine! After this it was back to the marina in time for dinner and a few drinks to decompress in the evening!
Wednesday
After breakfast, the novices were left under the direction of our qualified RYA Competent Crew, OCdt Yeo to get the boat ready for sea – pushing both the novices who were responsible for carrying out all the tasks themselves, and OCdt Yeo who’s leadership and skippering skills were developed. Once the boat was ready to go, we slipped and headed into the harbour to carry out more drills, including a man-overboard serial before picking up a mooring buoy for lunch as we waited for the tide to turn in our favour.
Once the tide was carrying us out of Portsmouth, we slipped from our mooring buoy and set sail for Bembridge, a small marina on the North-Eastern side of the Isle of Wight. Entry to Bembridge is restricted by a tidal bar, meaning we had to time our arrival with high water to ensure we had the depth to clear the bar!
Once the boat was put to bed, the crew dispersed to enjoy this beautiful part of the island.
Thursday
The morning started with a 5km for 2 of the crew, getting up early to see the sun come up over the beach! Once everyone had showered and breakfasted, the boat was quickly prepared for the day ahead before the crew slipped and headed out for a day of drills in the Solent. Man-overboard drills were the main activity for the morning, going over the method under engine first before doing the evolution without it. We then dropped the anchor in Osbourne Bay and enjoyed an ice-cream after lunch from the ice-cream boat!
After some more drills (mainly reefing the mainsail) we then headed up Southampton water to pick up a mooring buoy for dinner. While dinner was prepared (and the heads unblocked again!) OCdt Smeaton prepared his night navigation passage up and back down the Hamble and over to Cowes. We slipped once the sun had set, an exciting serial for all the crew. The crew learnt how to navigate in the dark using cardinals, lateral markers and sectored lights and what different vessel navigation lights mean. By the time we made it to Cowes, most of the boats in the marina had all gone to sleep so we came alongside as quietly as we could before we ourselves got our heads down after our long and busy day!
Friday
After our late night sail the day before, we had a nice and relaxed slow morning in Cowes, with the Skipper and Mate heading into town for a coffee while the crew worked to get the boat ready! Once the boat was ready it was time for tests on both knot tying and the different parts of the boat – an opportunity for the novices to impress with everything they had learnt so far!
Tea and biscuits were a necessary break after such a grueling exam before we set sail again and headed West through the Solent to Yarmouth. We got to Yarmouth early, allowing some time to explore the town before dinner prep started. Unfortunately, this hit a slight snag as we ran out of gas for the cooker and had to go on a hunt for a new bottle! Once this was secured, the cooking resumed, and the crew enjoyed some music and relaxed conversation in the evening sunshine!
Saturday
The crew woke up on our last full day of sailing, surprised with how quickly the week had gone! Now experts at preparing the boat for sea, the novices jumped to their jobs, and we were soon ready to enjoy some brilliant conditions outside the harbour. As usual, the morning was spent cementing knowledge on the key skills and drills, working as a well-oiled machine taking sails up and down and collecting the very unlucky man-overboard dummy who kept finding themselves in the water!
The crew were rewarded with an anchorage in Newton Creek with a very filling meal prepared by our Skipper once they had emerged from the water after a refreshing swim. Whoever said PT stops when you are on adventurous training!
It was then a short sail over to Cowes and an evening spent in the Anchor enjoying the live music surrounded by sailors from all over converging in one pub on the Isle of Wight!
Sunday
The last day is always bittersweet. After a week at sea the crew do certainly start to miss the luxuries of home (a normal flushing toilet for one!) but when the best weather for sailing comes on the last day it is hard to head into harbour so early! Nonetheless, the boat was alongside in good time, allowing the deep boat clean to commence!
A couple of hours of hard graft later (and many packets of floor wipes) the boat was spotless, and it was time to lock-up at the end of a great trip! With the keys dropped off the crew headed back to the combi-van for the long drive back up to London and back to normal University life.
It was a great trip for the OCdts and a proud moment for OCdts Logan and Outram receiving their RYA Competent Crew qualification and OCdt Smeaton his RYA Coastal Skipper!
Novice Reflective Statement – OCdt Outram
This exercise took place on board the RAYC yacht, Bombardier III. With virtually no sailing experience, I was essentially a novice. The trip began in Gosport and over the next seven days we explored the Solent, stopping off at various points on the north coast of the Isle of Wight. There was a mixture of crew on board, and I was one of the crew completing our RYA Competent Crew, the base qualification in offshore sailing. To complete the course, we had to prove that we were knowledgeable on vessel terminology, could hoist the main sail and headsail, conduct man overboard drills, pick up mooring buoys, tie all basic knots and work as team to get all boat jobs done.
We were fortunate enough to have some very fair weather during the exercise, making for very pleasant sailing conditions, the downside being a lack of wind on some days. However, on days where the wind was poor, we were able to make the best of the conditions to practice the drills we had to be confident in to pass the course, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting the chance to steer the yacht. When we did have better winds, it was exciting to experience the sensation of moving quickly under sail. Learning to cook in a galley kitchen took some getting used to, but it was rewarding to deliver a satisfying meal to the crew after a long day’s work and a chance to cool off with a swim in the sea!
Throughout the week I got the chance to experience sailing to a high standard, learning a multitude of skills that I am fortunate to now carry forward, with several future sailing trips lined up that will push me and allow me to build upon what I have learned. The training I received was of an exceptional standard and something that would be difficult to find at civilian training centres. I would highly recommend sailing AT to all those fortunate enough to have the opportunity to attend, the confidence and skills it delivers are invaluable.
