13 Territorials and one CCF adult instructor spent 18 days in January this year on an adventure training expedition of a lifetime, taking part in Exercise Transglobe, a Tri Service circumnavigation of the world. Leg 7, the only fully crewed TA leg, sailed across the Tasman Sea from Hobart to Auckland on one of the three 67′ yachts taking part in this exercise.
The crew spent New Years Eve in the air, arriving at Hobart to buy enough food for the crew of 14 for two weeks. The passage across to New Zealand saw every kind of weather, from light winds when the engine was used, to storms which required time to be spend on deck in rough conditions to change sails.
Time on board was spent with 48hrs of 4-hour shifts, followed by 24 hrs cooking and cleaning, preparing meals for 14 hungry people on a 2 ring stove at 30 degrees of tilt.
This was a great introduction to Ocean sailing and this expedition, and the supporting preparation, has demonstrated that TA personnel can successfully undertake demanding ocean sailing.
The crew managed one day off to see the sights of Auckland before returning to London on the 19th of January.