Sailing Strait south

The challenging waters of Southern Victoria and Bass Strait provided the ideal setting for this year’s Navy sailing adventure exped.

The challenge of HMAS Harman’s Bass Strait 05 was to develop sailing skills and team work and the waters of the south provided the place to do both.

The seven-day exped began at HMAS Cerberus aboard STY Alexander with a day of basic skills training in sail setting, changing, and reefing and in emergency drills - all under the watchful eyes of the skipper, CMDR Martin Linsley and mate LEUT Peter Hawthorn.

With skills at a high standard, the six-member exped sailed first to Refuge Cove, on the eastern side of Wilsons Promontory.

From there the group headed south across Bass Strait to Deal Island, and then to Flinders Island, before returning to Western Port.

The crew experienced all that Bass Strait could offer, from a calm windless night to a south-westerly gale, but with the team working well together, all events became just part of the sailing experience.

After sailing 503 nautical miles, everyone agreed it was a great adventure.

The skipper and mate confirmed that with all the exped’s aims achieved, the skills each member had developed made them not only competent, but also a very confident crew.

.