Following our plea earlier this week we have been inundated with responses for sponsorship of our Romsey Show Challenge from the local business community.
We would like to offer our heartfelt thanks to the following:
Burleys Bridal/ NJ Formal Hire
And especially to Liz at Fluidity Insurance Consultants Ltd. Welcome to the Romsey Sea Cadet family!
SABS (Southern Area Boat Station) is a weekend or a week course at Whale Island staying on HMS Bristol.
HMS Bristol was the only type 82 destroyer ever built for the Royal Navy. Decommissioned in 1991 and then converted into a training and accommodation vessel to replace HMS Kent.
HMS Bristol is the closest experience you can get of going to sea with the Royal Navy and to see what it would be like to live on a Navy ship but without leaving the port.
Over a weekend you spend a day and a half on the water with an evening class based on the subject you have chosen. Last weekend I opted to take my powerboat level 1 and even though I had not even stepped into a champ before, I managed to attain the qualification.
To top your amazing week or weekend you meet other cadets from all over southern area.
I am currently working through my Powerboating Level 2 qualification which I started last year at SCTC (Sea Cadet Training Centre) at Weymouth.
This weekend I went to SABS at Whale Island in Portsmouth to do some more training. I like living on HMS Bristol because it gives you an insight into what the Navy have to do onboard a ship.
When you go on SABS courses there are other cadets from all of the southern area, this means that you can make loads of new friends. One of our lessons, Sea Safety & Navigation, was taken on the bridge of the ship which was a whole new experience for me.
In the boating season we have an opportunity to go rowing on Sundays with our officer in charge, CPO (SCC) Dave Cairns . I enjoy rowing, I have learnt a lot and had opportunities that I wouldn`t have had if I had not been a part of Romsey Sea Cadets. I have gained a lot of experience and qualifications such as recently I have received my supervised coxswain. It is the best way to spend your Sunday!!!
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Cadets departed Unit HQ on Friday 8th August mostly unaware of the volume of water that was due to hit the New Forest later that evening. With amber warnings predicting gusts of 40-50 mph and perhaps as high as 60 mph it was going to be an interesting weekend! Tents were erected in the pouring rain and cadets settled into preparing a warm drink and supper. It rained most of the night but they woke on Saturday morning to bright sunny weather. A quick wash and breakfast followed.
Preparations for the day involved checking kit and mapping out the route for the hike around the New Forest by Ocknell Pond. Lt. Mackay treated some of the cadets to a much appreciated and deserved ice cream! One of the two groups went on to explore a Bronze Age Tumuli, known locally as butts! These ancient burial mounds in the New Forest are often positioned at the heads of river systems, or on ridges or rises in the ground where they could be seen and revered by other members of the tribe.
When all cadets returned to camp they had free time then prepared dinner and cleared away. Dinner was followed by the Unit's unique sport of Water Balloon Rounders! After supper they watched the ISS (International Space Station) in a very clear sky, completely unaware of the night ahead!
Overnight the wind and rain was very strong - some tents were billowing and seemed likely to blow away. Cadets woke to heavy rainfall and cooked breakfast under the trees. Camp was packed up early due to the terrible weather and cadets were returned to their parents!
More photos can be found in the Picture Gallery
We joined forces with Winchester Sea Cadets and took part in the the District Afloat Fun Day. This was a competition that included lots of smaller events in order to gain points and win. The events were, stand up paddle-boarding, kayak polo. Power boating (where each team was given the opportunity to do a man overboard and slalom in either a Dory or a Rib), rowing, leadership activities (including raft building) and a field exercise.
After the event, each team was given a mark out of 5. This mark not only involved ability but style, leadership, teamwork and the overall enjoyment the cadets showed in the event. Unfortunately, because the day took longer than anticipated everyone missed out on one event and ours was the leadership activity. But in the end, after a long, wet day, we took joint 2nd place with one of the teams from Bournemouth. Although the water was cold, the sun was shining and I can speak for every cadet when I say that the whole day was absolutely brilliant!
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