When on board, students take on a number of roles, including navigation, helming and keeping watch, as well as more mundane tasks such as cooking cleaning and sleeping. We also carry out emergency drills such as 'man overboard' and sometimes get involved with HM Coastguard helicopter winching drills. Training weekends are usually restricted to the UK coastline but we go much further afield on deployments . The unit usually has an Easter, Summer and Autumn deployment each year. The Summer deployment is in three phases and last year the plan was to head for St. Petersburg.
Deployments are a good test of teamwork and a lot of fun.
As a small ship, we are able to visit a number of foreign ports that have not seen the Royal Navy for many years. Often, a reception is organised for us in these towns. We also have plenty of time to go off and explore. Members need to go on one phase of a deployment per year to qualify for the bounty . Getting Paid As members of the Royal Naval Reserves, we are paid for time we spend on unit activities.