UK: HMS Exploit Ventures on Sea Weekend

HMS Exploit ventured up the River Avon to the bustling port of Bristol on Sea Weekend Number 8 of the 2012-2013 academic year during a cold, crisp and sunny February weekend. Exploit, tender to Birmingham University Royal Navy Unit (URNU) berthed in the port’s Cumberland Basin at the high profile Arnolfini berth in the city’s busy commercial heart.

“We haven’t been to Bristol for over a year and the Boss decided we’d venture up the River Avon for the weekend rather than going to our usual haunts of Swansea, Milford Haven and Watchet.

“The journey up the river was pretty dramatic as we passed under the impressive Clifton Suspension Bridge and negotiated the bends in the river, “commented Midshipman Will Zealey.

Each URNU is tasked to complete up to 15 sea weekends per year, one AT weekend (which we did the weekend before in the Lake District), one four week Easter deployment and one six week Summer deployment.

During the sea weekends the students effectively run the ship under the watchful eye of the 5 regular RN Ship’s Company and an embarked List 7 RNR Training Officer.

 “The students meet in Birmingham at our Headquarters within HMS Forward (the Midlands RNR Base) and travel the 2 ½ hours to Cardiff.

“When they arrive charts must be prepared for the next day including working out tides and plotting routes, shopping done to buy food for the weekend and other jobs detailed out – such as Tanky, Met Officer and Senior Midshipman ” added Sub Lieutenant Mike Kenning, Birmingham URNU’s TO2.

“Most of the P2000s based around the UK for URNU tasking can sail regardless of tide, particularly the unlucky few in 2 Basin (unlucky as they are based in Portsmouth, ripe for additional Fleet tasking).

However in Cardiff Exploit and Express (the Wales URNU P2000) must negotiate two tight locks in a heavily constrained tidal port.

We can only sail approximately two hours before and two hours after High Water and must proceed with the tide to other similarly tidal ports in the Bristol Channel.

Therefore to reach Bristol we sailed at 0630 to make the High Water slot in Bristol – for most of the students there was a shock that this hour actually existed….” said Lieutenant Si Shaw Commanding Officer Exploit.

Once alongside in Cumberland Basin Exploit became the centre of attention for Saturday afternoon passers by.

For two particular members of the Ship’s Company, the visit was memorable. Midshipman Matt Hobbs and Able Seaman Nick Bolt, both Bristol and West Country boys, enjoyed their visit to their home city.

“I’ve been in the URNU for three years so it was really good in my final year to take Exploit into my Home Town and bring my family onboard to see the ship.

“My Dad joked with the Boss about how much we’ve been in Navy News recently, as he’d been following our travels”, said a beaming Midshipman Hobbs.

“As we were the first RN warship alongside Bristol for a while, we attracted a lot of attention from the public and we were keen to tell them of EXPLOIT’s and the URNU’s role, “ said Midshipman Charlie Edwards, Exploit’s Senior Midshipman.

Exploit’s busy programme for the rest of the year includes sea weekends prepositioned to Plymouth for Operational Sea Training, participation in the 70th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic with the vast majority of the 1st Patrol Boat Squadron and other RN assets, followed by a visit to Kiel as the RN’s representative at the World famous Kiel Week.

 “We’re quite fortunate the Ship’s Company and the Boss spend so much time planning great places to visit and what training we are going to do.

I’m the unofficial Ship’s Photographer so I enjoyed the passage up the Avon and took some great pictures of Exploit and the Suspension Bridge”, added Midshipman Nick Smith.

Following a well earned run ashore in Bristol, which happened to coincide with the first weekend of the Six Nations, Exploit took passage back along the Avon and a lumpy Bristol Channel to her homeport of Cardiff.

For the Ship’s Company after a busy weekend of providing training to the students, you would assume a few days off would be in order.

However with Squadron Staff Covered Continuation Training ( similar to OST) in a few weeks, Exploit returned to sea to train up her Ship’s Company during the week and enjoyed a long weekend leave after a high tempo start to the year.

 “We now switch our attention to preparing the ship for Work Up and at the unit in Birmingham the students are getting ready for the annual URNU Sports Weekend”, said Executive Officer CPO Pam Ayres.

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Naval Today Staff, February 18, 2013; Image: Royal Navy