Navigation's what you need...

NOW, where’s the obvious place to show naval officers from the Gulf the art of navigation?

Correct. The Isle of Wight.

International students at the Maritime Warfare School in Collingwood left Fareham behind briefly for some time with HMS Cattistock as the minehunter hosted a navigational training course around the Solent and Isle of Wight.

For the two weeks of training the students were in good hands. Cattistock’s CO Lt Cdr Adam Northover is one of the RN’s most trusted navigators – he’s been the navigation staff officer with the Flag Officer Sea Training.

He was on the bridge for almost every one of the eighty runs completed by the visiting foreign officers – a mix of sailors with upwards of ten years’ experience with their respective navies… to some just out of their staff colleges.

Students from three Gulf nations – Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait – plus Brunei experienced passages into and out of Portsmouth Harbour and around the north and south-east coast of the Isle of Wight.

Although the weather was fine and dry for most of the fortnight, most mornings dawned with fog or haze – making it tricky for the students (and bridge team) to pick out reference points.

“I can think of no better way of refining navigation skills than careening around one of the busiest waterways in the country in a versatile ship such as a Hunt,” said Lt Cdr Northover.

“The entire ship’s company benefited from the challenges encountered by the exercise – and the fine weather was an added bonus.”

Capt Wahab Al-Hajji of the Kuwaiti Navy said he “enjoyed the new experience of operating out of an English port – and the ship’s officers and crew were very helpful and friendly”.

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