MEMBERS of the 1st Watchet Sea Scout Group spent last weekend in the cold and wet putting their navigation and hill walking skills into practice.

Having spent the last few weeks on troop nights working on their map and compass skills and planning routes, the group spent the two nights at an isolated bunk house at White Works, south of Princetown.

The sea scouts aged ten to 14, walked a 7.5km circular route from the bunk house while the Explorer Scouts, aged 14 to 18, undertook a longer route. 

Various skills were practised in the poor weather, including position-fixing by taking various bearings on points identified from a map to determine exact locations. This allowed the scouts to complete their navigation award as well as parts of their other challenge activities.

On the Sunday morning, the group was up and out early, through the overnight snowfall, to make their way down to Plymouth and to the Devonport dockyard HMS Drake.

They were invited to visit HMS Courageous, a decommissioned nuclear submarine, as well as the serving warship HMS Northumberland, a type 23 Frigate currently in port for some maintenance.

The scouts learned all about the role of the submarines as they were given a two-hour tour of HMS Courageous before lunch and then a tour of HMS Northumberland in which they saw various areas of the ship, from the bridge to the aircraft hanger, to the ship’s mess decks.

The duty watch also showed the scouts and explorers the operational command centre and the “war room”, where the fighting of the ship is controlled, and they saw how the various missile systems and guns are controlled remotely.

The scouts had the opportunity to learn what life on board a Royal Navy warship is really like and ask lots of questions of the crew.

During the visit, two new scouts were invested by making their scout promise on board HMS Northumberland in front of the crew, making it extra special.

Watchet Sea Scouts are able to make use of Royal Navy bases and undertake camps and activities with the service due to their Admiralty Recognition. Only 107 sea scout groups in the whole of the UK are regularly inspected and recognised by the Royal Navy as deserving special status.

The 1st Watchet Sea Scout Group has held RN Recognition for over 20 years and is the only RN Recognised Group in Somerset.

Ages range from six to 18 – beavers to explorers – and the group also welcomes those interested in assisting as an adult leader or skills instructor. For information email [email protected]