Page 41 - QARANC Vol 14 No 10 2015

EXERCISE NORTHERN SOLENT EXPLORER 1
On the 18th May members from MDHU Northallerton departed from Duchess of Kent Barracks to the Joint Services Adventurous Sail Training Centre (JSASTC) In Gosport, Hants, to take part in Exercise Northern Solent.
The aim of this exercise was to introduce novice sailors to the challenges of offshore sailing in order to develop teamwork, leadership skills and personal development in the unique and confined conditions of a yacht.
Upon arriving at JSASTC we took command of two 34 foot yachts named Syrinx and Trochus. Crews were nominated with Lt Col Ingram as Skipper of Trochus and WO1 Hopkins as Skipper of Syrinx. The crews were orientated to the yachts, rations were bought and preparations for the first sail got underway.
Our first journey took us across the Solent from Gosport to Cowes in the Isle of Wight. This allowed the skippers to introduce all of the novice sailors to the basics of sailing, which consisted of learning the important parts of the yacht’s sheets, lines, warps, raising and Lowering of sails and the appropriate use of fenders (Bumps and Grinds). On the voyage we also covered the procedures on how to safely and effectively moor into harbours.
After a rocky night on the yachts, the skippers and the crew got prepared for the day ahead. Our adventure took Syrinx and Trochus from Cowes to Lymington. On the way the crews on both yachts practiced Man overboard Drills, which required good communication and team, work to successfully perform the drills required.
Syrinx and Trochus also learned the skill of Tacking and Gybing. This skill was essential in manoeuvring the yachts to ensure that the wind was at optimum direction to fill the sails enabling us to maintain speed and
position in the water. On entering Lymington to settle for the night both crews had mastered the art of mooring within the marinas.
The third day took the crews on a short stay to the Beaulieu River were we learned how to safely navigate and manoeuvre within tidal waters. The entrance to the Beaulieu River was long and narrow, which required the use of channel markers to aid navigation into the marina. Due to the complexity of the entrance both crews dropped their sails and entered under the use of the motor.
After Lunch both crews took some time off the yachts to explore Bucklers Hard. Bucklers Hard, was the birthplace of many British Naval vessels, including many of Admiral Nelson’s fleet, The Hard, was responsible for building many famous ships during the late 18th century and early 19th centuries, all of which fought at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. During World War II, the village was used to build motor torpedo boats and the river was a base for hundreds of landing craft for the Normandy invasion. Today Bucklers Hard is a national tourist attraction. After successfully navigating out of the river, Syrinx and Trochus settled at Cowes for the night.
After a few days of perfect weather, a storm set in curtailing the crew’s ability to sail, which resulted in a short trip back to Gosport .The next day, whilst waiting for the weather to pass Syrinx and Trochus set sail on a short journey to Port Solent. The entry to Port Solent pushed the crews’ ability to moor as both yachts had to navigate through a sea lock to gain entry to marina. With the sun shining and weather significantly improved the crew’s set sail in the afternoon to Cowes. On this sail Syrinx and Trochus were honing in
on their skills in preparation for the big race the next day. After placing both yachts to bed, both crews settled for the night.
The final day dawned and the crews’ had their game faces on ready for the big race. Syrinx and Trochus made their way under sail to the starting point where we both set off. The race was tough and hard with both crews’ having to fight with tidal waters and poor wind. The complexity of the task pushed both skippers and all sailors to consolidate their knowledge and skills that they had learnt throughout the week to successfully navigate to south Cardinal buoy which marked the finishing point, just outside of Gosport.
Both Crews choose different routes, which result in Syrinx marginally crossing the cardinal buoy with a twenty minute lead ahead of Trochus. Trochus were gracious in defeat giving three cheers to Syrinx as they entered the marina.
Throughout the week both crews developed an excellent understanding of sailing by using effective teamwork and personal development which successfully aided the management of living in the unique and confined environment of the yachts. The ability of the crews to prepare and cook the majority of meals and live together was second to none.
The Members of MDHU Northallerton who took part in Exercise Northern Solent 1 thoroughly enjoyed the experience and have gained valuable skills as a result.
Cpl Newman and Cpl Daisley
THE GAZETTE QARANC 39