RAOC Gazette - page 175
Image details
| Corps | RAOC |
|---|---|
| Material type | Journals |
| Book page | |
| Chapter head | |
| Chapter key | |
| Chapter number | |
| Full title | RAOC Gazette |
| Page number | |
| Publication date | 1979 |
| Real page | |
| Colour | No |
| Grey | No |
| Early date | 1979 |
| Late date | 1979 |
| Transcription |
proper one foot by one foot, We were sipping our second pint when two Bretons entered the club bar. One wore a dinner jacket, the other a suit of tails. Both wore black bow ties complete with yachting hats and desert boots. They lined up at the entrance, drew themselves to attention, doffed their caps 4 and bade us all * Bonjour." We gave our best imitations of stiff upper lipped Englishmen and tried not to choke in our beer. At 05.30 hours the next morning (those tides again). we left St Peter's Port and the Little Russell and headed south for St Malo on a course of one hundred and ninety degrees. Again, we had the wind aft, so it was a grand opportunity for some fishing. Peter had brought two lines with spinners. The mackerel soon began to give themselves upland by lunchtime we had two each. Peter filleted, them and fried them in butter. They were absolutely wonderful. If you haven't ever had mackerel cooked in this way, and so fresh, then you have a treat in store. There is no oilyness which is usually present with these fish. We each enjoyed our sleep of! watch that afternoon, It was now that Peter began to use the radio on the yacht, homing in on the radio 7 beacons in the area ' Dash dot dash dot—dash dot dot dot —(CB). A carrier wave then comes. The receiver is swung until the carrier wave fades out— he reads the compass on the radio and records the bearing. The exercise is repeated on another radio beacon. Hey presto 1 We have a fix and know where we are. Every hour the log is made up, DR. and EP drawn on the chart and a check with the radio beacons. Peter showed us how it worked.and once more, though nothing was in sight, we had a comforting feeling that we weren't alone. A flag staff with a small flag on it appeared dead ahead! Then another and another. It looked like a marine golf course! The flags were all the same, but not far away, a different set of flags—another golf course? Lobster pots they were,—but looking just like golf courses in the sea. At 19.30 hours we made a good landfall at St Malo. So far we had sailed one hundred and ninety nine miles. We spent a day and a half in this magnificent town. The hospitality of the local people is superb, but more than that will not be told. The crew are keeping those thirty six hours to themselves! Coming out of St Malo at 23.30 hours is a most interesting experience, especially in a heavy sea whilst the yacht rolls about on engine alone. Two very chunky unlit buoys at the harbour entrance must first be missed» then you must keep two bright green lights in line astem. It appears that on this course, the yacht is being directed straight for a lighthouse which flashes a red light at you,—three flashes at intervals. This light is left to starboard. Another set of lights appear dead ahead! A short dog leg here, then back on course for the open sea. With sails now set, the yacht became more stable and we settled down for the long haul back to Sark to wait for the Aldemey Race to take us north to Alderney again. Next morning we found another beautiful day. A fresh North East force four kept us on course, as the yacht picked up six to eight knots on a close reach. The seas were clear with no other vessel in sight. Tt was Bank Holiday and we heard sad news over the radio of heavy traffic congestion in the south of England. It was not long before Peter pointed out Guernsey, All that could be seen was a very slight difference in the colour of the sky low on the horizon. We had arrived dead on time to join the Alderney Race north, so with the wind in our teeth, we sailed full and by in the best sailing weather we had so far enjoyed. Peter pointed out the overfalls on the chart in this area, which make for very rough seas. We tacked round them and then continued to sail full and by for Alderney. We arrived in Alderney at 1600 hours,—seventeen hours sailing from St Malo. Next day after lunch we left Alderney on a course of 030 degrees compass for Lymington. We made seven knots most of the way. Quite suddenly, out of an empty sky we spotted a RN helicopter from Portland coming straight for us. It had a good look at us then went away north. Shortly after this a Townsend Thorrensen ferry was spotted on the horizon to starboard. She altered course through ninety degrees and came straight at us! We quickly made up the log in case trie Captain had something against yachtsmen, but after passing us astern she altered course back to her original heading and continued on her way. We found out later that a yacht had sent a radio distress signal but couldn't give her position, so a general search had begun by the Rescue Services and all vessels in the area. It was a comforting thought that even though we could see nothing on the horizon, these emergency measures are so effective and so thorough. r The Needles light came in sight that night. It is known to Mariners as ' Group Occulting Two,'—to others it is a con- linuous light with two flashes of darkness. Soon other lower lights came in view each blinking away in their own individual way to identify themselves. They guided us through the narrow straight between the Needles and Hurst and brought us finally to the Lymington Marina at 03.00 hours. Next day we left Lymington at 12.00 hours for an afternoon's sail in the Solent back to Gosport. It was another glorious day. At the beginning of the trip we had bought a cauliflower which was by this time beginning to smell badly. We tossed it over- board. (Myles swore that he saw three Mackerel come up for it, ignore it, and swim down below again.) So from peaceful seas we entered the noisy Portsmouth Approaches, dodging hover- craft and everything else, to tie up once again at Gosport. On this trip we had learned much about sailing, navigation and a host of other things. One thing was sure—we were going to do it again as soon as we could! Journeys like this occur often in the RAOC. You could very easily take part in them too. Just tell your Unit Sailing Officer that you would like to go on a Yacht Hand's Course at JSSC Gosport, or with the Corps. Your employing officer can nearly always arrange to let you go if he has sufficient warning and can plan for your absence. We are waiting for you to say that you would like to learn. m THE OFFICERS CLUB GARDEN PARTY THE GARDEN PARTY will be held at Headquarters RAOC Officers Mess on Saturday, 14th July 1979. The Mess Bar will open at 12.15 pm and drinks will be available against payment in cash, For those requiring it, a buffet luncheon will be served from 1.00 pm to 2.00 pm. The Garden Party will start at 2.30 pm and end at 6.30 pm and a Corps cricket match will be played during the afternoon. Afternoon tea will be served in the Mess between 4.00 pm and 5.00 pm. The RAOC Staff Band will beat retreat at 6.15 pm. Lunch £1.75 Children under twelve ...£1 Tea £1 Children under twelve ... 75p. Members of the Officers Club should book tickets for afternoon tea and luncheon; applications to the RAOC Secretariat, Deepcut, Camberley, Surrey. Cheques payable to the RAOC Officers Club, should be sent with the applications. FOR SALE OFFICERS MESS KIT.—38-in chest, 32-in inside leg, 36-in waist, 5-ft II-in height. Very good condition. Contact Lieu- tenant C Baker on Bulford Military (Bulford Camp 3371 civil) Ext 4920 during working hours or at Wyvern Officers Mess, Bul- ford Camp, Salisbury, Wiltshire. OFFICERS MESS KIT and two Service Dress; chest 42-in, waist 34-in, inside leg 32±-in. Good condition. Telephone Dumfries 63376 (Code 0387) or write T. W. Turnbull, 15 GilJ- brae Crescent, Lochvale, Dumfries, Scotland. KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THE CORPS THROUGH THE RAOC ASSOCIATION 362 — |
| Book number | R0247a |