Adventurous Sailing
For one week every year the Royal Marines School of Music undertakes various
activities as part of their adventurous training.
Monday
This year, Musicians Steve Beasley, Mark Walker, Stu Fothergill, Molly Singleton
and Will Hairsine, along with BdCpl Eddy Bean, Captain Henderson and Major Watson
took part in a week's sailing onboard a Nicholson 55 yacht from the JSASTC (Joint
Services Adventure Training Centre) in Gosport.
The plan for Monday was to get a day's dingy sailing in from Whale Island to
introduce people to the sport. However, good old British weather provided a
day of rain and no wind! Plan B was bowling and a barbecue at Musn Walkers house.
Tuesday
Tuesday morning looked rather ominous as looking out the window all you could see was rain and clouds. After driving down to JSASTC in Gosport the sun was beginning to show signs of appearing and, after drawing foul weather gear, the sun had burnt through the cloud and was shining! All of the provisions for the trip were loaded on board and stowed away into numerous lockers and holes. No one quite knew how we were going to find it again! After numerous safety briefs and lectures on how to use a life-raft and the other safety equipment, everyone was ready to get out onto the water and set sail, however this was not the case. After inspecting the yacht, it was found that the forward hatch was not closing properly, so a quick trip into the Solent was the only sailing we did!
Wednesday
Wednesday morning at 0700 the engineer arrived to fix the hatch. Once that
was completed we were finally ready to set off for our planned journey to Alderney.
We left the safety of the harbour at about 1100 and proceeded out around the
eastern side of the Isle of Wight. Our course was then set and everyone settled
down for a long voyage!
The skipper of the yacht advised people, if they hadn't been on a yacht before,
to take some motion sickness tablets to help combat the seasickness. Some people
didn't take these tablets and suffered! Mentioning no names, Musn's Molly Singleton,
Will Hairsine, and… Major Watson!
The journey across turned out to be a little bit tedious because once again
the wind proved to be too light to aid in our crossing. On went the engine and
we changed course for Cherbourg.
We arrived in Cherbourg in the early hours of Thursday morning, and after mooring
up alongside one of the pontoons, everyone climbed into their beds and had a
well-deserved sleep!
Thursday
Thursday morning was time to check the yacht for any frayed ropes, damaged
wires or any visible problems. One problem we had encountered was the steaming
light. However this was located 3/4 of the way up the mast! Musn Beasley was
hoisted aloft to go and sort this one out. Everyone marvelled at his aerial
antics as he swung gracefully in his safety harness!
The rest of the day was free for us to do what we wanted, so the inevitable
happened and we ended up in a pub! Some people wanted to go looking around the
French shops, but it was a bank holiday so nothing was open! Evening came and
we all went into a restaurant to have a meal together, and sample the French
beverages!
Friday
Friday morning was a fairly early start to catch the tide to help us on our way back to Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight. The journey back was a lot smoother and we had fair winds! Everyone had a go at the yacht's helm and no one was seasick. Arriving at Yarmouth at about 1930 we all ate a meal of chicken curry, lovingly prepared by Musns Will Hairsine and Steve Beasley! A quiet night in a local watering hole provided a relaxing last night before heading back home in the morning.
Saturday
Saturday morning and the final leg home saw the spinnaker flown for the first time as we sailed up the Solent in style! On arriving back at the JSASTC, the boat was thoroughly cleaned and the decks scrubbed ready for the yacht to go to sea again the following week. After giving our thanks to the skippers of the yacht and saying goodbye we departed JSASTC and headed back to base after a thoroughly enjoyable week. We are all looking forward to next year.
By Webmaster:
We heard, via the grapevine, that the two groups were sending text messages
to each other. Whilst the group in Wales were sat in a cold minibus on their
way to a local pub they were teased by the sailors who they were reclining on
the upper scupper, in fair winds and fine weather with a Bacardi and Coke…
Oh and no PT! The wonders of modern technology!