Page 145 - Rifles 2017 Issue No 3

Exercise Bugle Fjord
A crew of Reservists from 7 RIFLES have recently returned from Ex Bugle Fjord utilising a chartered yacht that was obtained from the Joint Warfare Centre (JWC) at Stavanger, Norway. After meeting at Heathrow and ying to Stavanger, a short Taxi journey saw the crew arriving at the small marina in Ulsnes which is also a Norwegian military estab- lishment. After initial briefs and kit issues and the skipper signing his life away with the Bosun of Yacht “Aurelius 2” they set off from the marina the following day and sailed towards Stavanger to scout out areas to moor up later in the week before heading for the open sea. Sailing into the wind meant we were kept busy with plenty of tacking practice before arriving at the scenic little island of Kvitsøy, which has a population of little over 500, and is approached by inlets little wider than your average canal. In the afternoon a stroll around the rock allowed stunning views of the dozens of tiny islets that surround it, especially from its church and lighthouse. On Friday morning we took a different route out of Kvitsøy but due to very low winds we had to head out using the motor. But this gave us a chance to practise our ‘man overboard drills’, which CSjt Gajjar almost took a little too literally! More sailing into the wind meant more tacking, so we rotated manning the tiller giving us a chance to mess up the only seven words we needed to remember (“ready about, helm to lee, let draw!”). That evening we arrived in Skudenshaven and following some tight berthing set up the BBQ for the evening - BBQs seem to be standard operating procedure in this part of the world.
With a longer journey of around 20 nautical miles planned for Saturday we made an earlier start but there were more low winds so we had to run under the motor for the beginning of this leg, but with dolphins, seals and plenty of jelly sh swimming by the boat, we didn’t mind too much.
The wind did pick up as we approached Stavanger once again, and the sight of a German ag ying from a larger yacht several hundred yards ahead meant the sails being hoisted for the slowest overtaking manoeuvre in history! We arrived at Lindoy hoping to moor up against the rocks, but were unable to nd anywhere suitable so headed to the small jetty to tie up. The island of Lindoy is still home to a school for “misguided and wayward children” so we immediately felt at home! We also used the afternoon to practice our dinghy drills.
Another long journey was planned including heading southwest back through to Stavanger where the enormous Queen Mary 2 was in harbour
disgorging thousands of tourists into the relatively small town centre. More inconsistent winds forced us to swap between motoring and motor-sailing en route to Lysefjord to pass under the famous Preikestolen, otherwise known as Pulpit Rock, 600 meters above the Lysefjord. Just as spectacular was a waterfall from the same height a few hundred yards further up the fjord. We then made an about turn for Tau where the winds picked up and we reached 9 knots, the highest speed of the week.
Monday was the only land-based day of the trip, as we made for the summit of Pulpit Rock. A half hour bus ride and a 4km tab took us up to the top for some absolutely incredible views. The rock itself was rather crowded with sel e-obsessed tourists, but we found another, even higher (and quieter) vantage point to view them all from.
On Tuesday we made stops at the islands of Little Tiestholmen and Tingholmen. Winds again weren’t strong but we still sailed between locations. There was nowhere to moor that was deep enough on Tingholmen so we tied up to a buoy for a brew before heading to the lovely island of Little Tiest- holmen. We stopped there for lunch and would have stayed longer as it was the perfect spot for another BBQ or camp re, but the weather wasn’t great. We then set off for Stavanger giving Rfn Macgillivray a chance to sail too close to one of the local ferries, which ended in a loud horn sounding - the universal signal for “I am unaware of your intentions”!
We got a prime spot in the main marina, which was ideal for a stroll around the old town.
Wednesday was the nal day of the trip so we didn’t want to venture too far from Stavanger so headed back to Tingholmen where me moored up against steep rocks for a spot of physical training in the form of swimming. The sail back to Ulsnes took longer than expected because of light winds, but with more dolphins popping up to say hello and not a cloud in sight we didn’t mind too much!
A great week was had by all, and it was a brilliant chance for the rookies on board to cover most of the competent crew course and the more experi- enced sailors to polish up their skills! The Yacht that was chartered from JWC was in very good condition and the skipper certainly appreciated the top tips on where to visit and where to avoid. All in all and in spite of light winds the exercise was a success and gave the novices on board an excellent insight into the sport of offshore sailing.
Rfn Maggs, F Coy
THE ISLAND OF LINDOY IS STILL HOME TO A SCHOOL FOR “MISGUIDED AND WAYWARD CHILDREN” SO WE IMMEDIATELY FELT AT HOME!
Smiles all-round; the crew grimmace through some rough weather
Stormy skies; members of the crew pose atop one of Norway’s dramatic fjords