Ex NORTHERN CRAFTSMAN 6 Regt RLC LAD

Ex NORTHERN CRAFTSMAN

Scribe: Sgt Richie Taylor

6 Regiment RLC LAD Sailing Expedition 19 – 24 Sep 21

Ex NORTHERN CRAFTSMAN was designed to deliver a challenging yet achievable sailing package for 6 Regiment RLC LAD. 10 Service Personnel arrived in sunny Gosport, Portsmouth, where we stayed the night at Fort Blockhouse, before meeting up with our skippers on Monday morning. That evening, we all enjoyed a pre-sail meal after the long drive down thinking it might be our last good meal of the week, how wrong we were!

The Craftsman Crew enjoying the view: Cfn Stokes, WO1 (ASM) Radford and LCpl Moore Enjoying the Poole Harbour sunset

The Seahorse Crew consisting of Maj Triblenig, Cpl Taylor, LCpl Devlin, Cfn Hubberstey, Cfn Coulson and Cfn Smith

Upon meeting our skippers, we were given a tour of the boats and our mandatory safety briefs. We then quickly set sail as our instructors unloaded their wealth of knowledge upon us, much to the bemusement of some as they sat there looking confused. We were split across two boats hired from the REME Sailing Club, ‘Seahorse’ and ‘Craftsman’. Both fantastic vessels and very well equipped.

Throughout the week we learned a range of skills which are detailed in the course syllabus to gain our Competent Crew Qualification. We covered multiple knots, crew overboard drills, how to bring the boat to a halt and most importantly, how to make a good cup of Yorkshire tea under sail. Although not ideal sailing weather; calm seas, low wind and lots of lovely sunshine it was ideal for novice sailors and meant no one got sea sick. The ASM was quick to remind us all we were on a tight budget and couldn’t afford any more wind in true Yorkshireman style.

After our first successful day’s sailing, we moored up in Yarmouth Harbour where we had to haggle on the price of the mooring fees. We ate on the boat most nights either cooking on the move or

LCpl Devlin strutting his stuff on the final day in the sun

destination first; although this was certainly not a race. But Seahorse won. This was the first night we weren’t moored up in a harbour and had to tackle a mooring buoy in the dark before hitting the pillows for a good night’s sleep on the calm sea.

Our final full day took us from Thorney Island area back over to Cowes on the Isle of Wight. We all spent the day rotating through the helm repeating tacking and jibing the boat along whilst finessing our crew overboard drills.

Friday morning, we set sail back to Gosport to get the boats ready for handover back to the REME Sailing Club and after a lot of boat cleaning, we thanked our instructors for what was a most memorable week. We couldn’t have asked for better weather, group or instructors and wholeheartedly thank our instructors, Major Sullivan and Major Tribelnig, and the REME Sailing club for assisting us in completing our competent crew course. The crew would all strongly advise anyone to organise a sailing package using the REME boats, as you always hear, “civilians would pay thousands for this”, in this case it’s most definitely true.

cooking whilst moored up; this first night feeding some hungry sailors we had a lovely chicken curry and made best use of the harbour showers.

The sleeping arrangements are a bit of a squeeze. Six people on each small boat seemed impossible, some got a little closer than others, but we just about managed it, the smaller people sharing the two doubles and one on each sofa. Luckily, the two snorers were on the Seahorse and given their Seahorse Final – Cpl Taylor, Cfn Smith, Cfn Hubberstey, LCpl Devlin and Cfn Coulson age had to take the sofas, obviously!

As the rest of the week went on the crews became more confident and competent on sailing, although one boat seemed to sail a lot more than the other as it was always under engine power. The Seahorse must have thought they were at Thorney Island as this is where the motor boating goes on.

Wednesday was to be the longest day, the morning brought us safety boat training and rope coiling, whilst the afternoon and late into the night we had a 52-mile sail to tackle to gain our night sailing hours. The crew of the Craftsman took this in their stride and had a great team bonding session in the light of the moon, music on and sailed off into the sunset. The Seahorse saw the other teams relaxed attitude and decided to be consummate sailing professionals and reach our Seahorse and Craftsman showing off their boats and Crew shirts in Poole Harbour