Page 122 - AGC Journal 2018

AGC JOURNAL 2018

Exercise Solent

Adventure

By Lieutenant Diana Pitts
The aim of this event was to introduce complete novices to Sailing by

achieving Competent Crew Qualifications, seasoned sailors to practise
navigation and safety drills, and everyone to gain experience on the open
water.

Gosport Marina from the shore. The first day was to be an introductory

sail to West Cowes, arriving in time to cook and eat
Early on a warm, bright Monday morning, we met together and explore a little of what the marina had to
at Gosport Marina to share hot bacon baps ahead of offer.

embarking on a week sailing together around the south
coast of England. Some had never set foot aboard a boat West Cowes to Poole
before, others had some or much experience. Four boats

were to be our homes for five days: Osprey, Tern, Keal The navigation across to Poole from West Cowes
and Pochard and together we were to form a Flotilla. The provided an excellent opportunity for both Day Skippers and jibing at speed, this was exhilarating for many of us
week consisted of four days of tuition out on the water and novices to practise what they know. The approach reaching speeds of 9 knots, about 10 miles an hour. This

stopping in a different marina each night. The week to the Harbour meant that novices could practise doesn’t sound like much until you’re experiencing it

would finish with a time trial on the final day on our way steering within narrow shipping lanes, learn the on the water with the wind and the waves. Learning

back to Gosport, a great opportunity for crews to put in meaning of land marks and marker buoy’s, and vitally to tack and jibe is important because you need to be
to practice all they had learned, and win some prizes. practise man over-board drills. Even by the second day able to maneuver your boat using the most of the wind,

we were all becoming confident knowing what sheets otherwise you won’t travel very far at all.
Gosport to West Cowes (ropes) to pull to work the sails, and when. Day skippers
had the challenge of parking in the famously tricky West Cowes to Yarmouth
The staff at Joint Services Adventurous Sail Training berthing in Poole Marina. After dinner on board together,

Centre in Gosport delivered a thorough water safety we learned knot tying and why there is the need for We began the day learning how to row in inflatable

brief. This covered how to deploy a life raft, basic sea different knots aboard a boat. dinghy’s in West Cowes Harbour. We then navigated

survival should you go overboard and various safety to Yarmouth via a small river up the Hamble in the
equipment such as flares, lifejackets, Jon Bouys, GPS Poole to East Cowes Solent. This was to practise anchoring drills and also

trackers and emergency services response drills. In crews make the most of the sunshine on the deck whilst eating
of six, we then unpacked our kit into our boats, including We navigated like experts out of Poole Harbour; some lunch. After some more man over-board drills within

food for the week and most importantly the Skippers crew were even confident enough to rig the sails and the Solent we eventually reached Yarmouth and crews
aboard each boat began introducing the new crew to ready the boat to slip without their Skipper even being brought fish and chips aboard the boats and shared

parts of the boat and talking them through how to slip on board. Competent crew drills this day covered tacking jokes and stories, cementing new friendships. Friendly
competitiveness began to set in between crews in
readiness for the time trial the following morning, all of
us coming up with our own strategy to get a head start in
the morning.
Yarmouth to Gosport
The wind was the lightest it had been all week, this meant
that all crews had to apply all their recently acquired
skills to get their boats around the set course on the
way back to Gosport. The instructors and skippers were
extremely impressed and choosing prize winners was a
huge challenge. After cleaning and unpacking the boats
we celebrated with a big barbecue and prize giving at
Gosport Sailing Club.
Endnote

Sailing is a sport quite different to others due to the many
elements that you must learn to master. Weather, safety
equipment, navigation, sea sickness, physical robustness
and teamwork. There is nothing else quite like the feeling
of being aboard a sunny deck of a boat cruising over the
sea, working alongside crew members who contribute
fully to the task in hand.

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