RAOC Gazette - page 186
Image details
| Corps | RAOC |
|---|---|
| Material type | Journals |
| Book page | |
| Chapter head | |
| Chapter key | |
| Chapter number | |
| Full title | RAOC Gazette |
| Page number | |
| Publication date | 1977 |
| Real page | |
| Colour | No |
| Grey | No |
| Early date | 1977 |
| Late date | 1977 |
| Transcription |
THE STORY OF THUNDERBOLT THE BUILDING OF A 23 FOOT SLOOP AT THE APPRENTICE COLLEGE tk PICTURED is the sloop Thunderbolt/' Her predecessor t( Neraida" had given sterling service but. being made of wood she needed a fair amount of maintenance. Also, the lady was beginning to show her* age having been acquired from the Corps in Cyprus in the 1960\ The two permanent sailing pundits in the College are Jim Watson and Mike Johnson, both civilian lecturers in the Education Branch. Back in '73 their advice was sought. The College requirement was for a mitiimum maintenance yacht to give apprentices an introduction to cruising. It had to be small enough to be housed in the sailing club premises, once a Gymnasium, during the fitting out period. On the other hand it had to be large enough to accommodate a crew of five, prefer- ably with room for all in the cockpit whilst under sail. Cost inevitably raised its head, and clearly much of the fitting out would have to be done at Deepcut. This was planned for the evening hobbies periods, with apprentices of the sailing and woodwork classes working under supervision. With an Army welfare grant of £1,750 the College took the plunge and bought the moulded fibreglass hull and deck, of a Sailer 23, made by Seamaster Ltd, of Essex. Designed by Laurent Giles the Sailer 23, as the name suggests, has an overall length of twenty three feet With the banks of the Solent and the apprentice helmsman in mind the lifting keel version was chosen, White and sparkling, the hull settled onto its blocks in the sailing club building. Alongside, work continued on the then current project, a 17-ft open gaff-rigged ketch longboat called 1 1 Craftsman. In the end it took a year to flnsh * Craftsman/ whilst the dust settled on * Thunderbolt/ By early 1975 work was well under way. The interior design had been chosen to give five berths; two plus a quarter berth in the main cabin and two berths in the forward cabin* Between the two cabins, a locker for oilskins was built on one side and a marine toilet installed opposite* The double berth in the main cabin converts to a daytime dinette layout, with a large chart/dining table opposite the usual sink and cooker unit Around this time came another slice of luck. A second hand Coventry Victor Marine petrol engine, complete with gear- box and propellor shaft, was acquired for a very modest sum indeed. Installation was a local effort, with various fitters and 'experts' offering their help or being press-ganged. A diesel engine would have been preferable, but was clearly beyond College finances. Great care was taken with installation and subsequent SOPs so that the engine could be used with safety. In June last year the yacht was placed on her trailer and towed to the Joint Services Sailing Centre at Gosport. How was she placed on the trailer? Well, Captain Mike Fox scrounged this enormous Manilla Warp, and we had a lot of Apprentices at the time. Big strong chaps they were'. June was spent doing trials, adjustments, and still more trials. There were minor problems: the engine refused to run for more than a few minutes until the carburettor mount was modified. The fan belt could only be changed by lifting the engine out. We were advised by one individual to use a well known proprietary adhesive to attach the navigation light to the masthead. The light came off and Mike Johnson became the first to conquer the masthead in a bosun's chair. Eventually, however, all was completed. Total cost had been £2,400. The initial insurance valuation was £7,000. In July 1976 she was formally named and commissioned by the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel N. S. Bruce. Im- mediately after this short ceremony she took her first batch of Apprentices on a four day cruise round the Solent, Other cruises followed, perhaps the most enjoyable being an idyllic three days in the early September sunshine when Jim Watson, Mike Johnson, the Commanding Officer and Captain Peter Haden (the Adjutant) sailed to Cowes, Poole, Lymington, Yarmouth and back to Gosport Off Lymington the lifting keel proved its worth when the Commanding Officer made contact with the mud banks! To finish the first season, we were invited to enter the REME Offshore Race, some 200 of our Apprentices being potential REME tradesmen. Alongside larger craft, and without Genoa or Spinnaker (poverty again!), Thunderbolt came third out of fourteen on the first day and second out of twelve on the second and final day. Thunderbolt has proved, an enormous success. She is a logical progression for our adventurous young men who, having learned to sail a dinghy, long to try their hand at cruiser sailing. The immense amount of work involved in planning, negotiating, ' acquisition * and fitting out was performed by Jim Watson and Mike Johnson over a three year period. The College owes them an enormous debt of gratitude: both for their work and for the many hours of leisure time which they have given up to foster the project. Photo Soldier Magazine Thunderbolt with Portsmouth in the background and Jim Watson at the helm. The College has applied for another grant You see we wish to broaden the proverbial, and cruise beyond the Solent. The Channel Islands and France will do for a start, but we need direction finding equipment and a log and a diesel engine and, and, and A. P. H- — 142 |
| Book number | R0246 |