LOCAL girl Nancy Porter spent several months in the newsroom at the Cornish Times last year as she waited to join the Navy. Follow her progress each week as she sends us her latest bulletin...
SEAMANSHIP week has given my tired legs the chance to recover from our Dartmoor adventure. I have learnt the theory of berthing and unberthing warships, about safety equipment onboard and how to tie a variety of knots. We even took part in a replenishment at sea exercise, simulating the refuelling of a warship, which would normally be done at high speeds. The highlight of the week was a night on the river at Jupiter Point where I took command of HMS Foxglove, a four-berth yacht. Dressed in our sailing gear, we spent a night onboard, enjoying our ration packs under the stars, whilst finding our sea legs. After a great night's sleep, we went out rowing on the river and after 10 minutes perfecting our technique, we had a race. Much faster were the rigid inflatable boats, which we had a ride on whilst learning how to be passengers in a boat. We would have had a soaking if it wasn't for our waterproofs. That evening, safely back on the dry land of HMS Raleigh, I sampled the naval speciality of a battered, deep fat fried jam sandwich with custard. This was definitely one of the most interesting culinary experiences I have had since arriving, and considering I have now eaten two full ration packs, that really does take some doing! With competition week coming up next week, we have had a few less demanding days to conserve our strength. We visited RNAS Yeovilton, having a coach tour of the base and a good look around the Fleet Air Arm Museum. Not knowing much about what air capabilities the Navy has, I found this a very interesting day. We were also given a real treat - five hours shore leave! It was a real luxury to wear jeans and we had a real laugh over a few games of bowling. But anyway, better go, we have to work on our team tactics for the assault course. Let's just hope the weather warms up before I take another dip in a freezing Cornish stream.