Page 62 - Wish Stream Year of 2017

Exercise ICEBREAKER CADET
OCdt Macdonald-Smith
As most of the intake headed for the Alps, 6 intrepid Officer Cadets set off for the South Coast for an unconventionally timed sail- ing trip around the Solent. Offshore sailing is not often conducted within the UK in December, as it is more commonly associated with warmer sea- sons. Nonetheless on December 15th, Skipper OCdt Macdonald-Smith took over command of Craftsman III from the REME Yacht Club at the Army Sailing Association in Gosport. We squeezed all of our kit and shopping aboard the boat and conducted a basic tour to orientate the novice sailors to the idiosyncrasies of living within a 34 foot world.
The first day of sailing was an introductory sail around Portsmouth Harbour and the conditions were perfect for learning the ropes and seeing the sites of the home of the Royal Navy, com- plete with an up-close view of Queen Elizabeth II.
Unfortunately, this introductory sail ended up being the only time we experienced favourable conditions all week. After a further evening spent in Portsmouth Harbour, we set off for Cowes in conditions that would explain why sailing in December is considered unusual.
In driving rain and strong winds,
we put our loan store oilskins to
good use whilst rotating on the
helm to ensure nobody’s hands
were exposed to the elements for
too long. The conditions proved to
be a useful baptism of fire to off-
shore sailing for our novices. They
surmounted a steep learning curve
admirably and were thereafter well
equipped to deal with any chal-
lenges the rest of the expedition could bring. That evening the team members enjoyed the delights of Cowes, sailing capital of the UK.
The next morning, the conditions had calmed significantly to the extent that our passage to Lymington was borne by the tide, rather than harnessing wind power. Although opportunities for sailing were limited we made the most of our slow progress to improve theory and nauti- cal navigation skills. The following day did not
They surmounted a steep learning curve admirably and were thereafter well equipped...
see an improvement to the wind con- ditions and so a very early start was required to make best use of the tide to take us back towards the Eastern Solent. OCdt Elmhirst made up for the lack of an on-board fog horn to guide us through the misty morning with his own lung power warning of our approach.
Our final night was spent in Port Solent before much improved conditions took us back to the ASA in plenty of time to sort the boat out for handing back to the REME YC. The expedition was an absolute success and, despite the con- ditions being less than ideal, all the participants learnt a lot and enjoyed the opportunity to be on the water. We are all very grateful to the Sand- hurst Trust for helping to make such a valuable experience possible.
60 SANDHURST