Resebrev 2013-03-17
Greetings! We are Midshipman 2nd Class Jordan Rettie from California, Midshipman 3rd Class Lauren Hickey from Maryland, and Midshipman 4th Class Alex Anicetti from California, and we are students from the United StatesNavalAcademy who are training to be officers in the United States Navy. We were accompanied by a Naval officer and instructor from our school, Lieutenant Cody Gates. We were fortunate enough to be invited to spend a weekend aboard the HMS Falken as it traveled from Quantico, Virginia to our school in Annapolis, Maryland from 15 March 2013 to 17 March 2013.
While on board we were introduced to life at sea aboard the HMS Falken. While learning the basics of sailing and seamanship we also got to experience a bit of Swedish culture and the excellent food served aboard. After being assigned to our groups, each of us were assigned to a different quarter where we became familiar with our stations and watchstanding responsibilities. At night, it was a bit chilly for us Americans but we kept warm with the help of some cold weather gear from the crew while keeping lookout, assisting with navigation, and steering the vessel as the helmsman.
While some of us have been at sea before, both on US Navy ships and on sailboats, there were many aspects of life aboard the HMS Falken that were new to us. We all slept in hammocks for the first time and found them surprisingly comfortable! In our down time, we were introduced to “Swenglish” and traded stories about our lives as young Americans and young Swedes. We were surprised by how much American music and movies the students and crew knew, and were very impressed with their English speaking and translation, since we knew no Swedish, though now we know a couple words such as how to say “Hello”, “Goodbye”, “My name is…”, “Thank you…”, and how to properly take the helm.
On Saturday we were blessed with warm whether despite forecasts of rain, though the wind was not good for sailing as it was very calm. Fortunately, the wind picked up throughout the day as we sailed down the Potomac River and up the Chesapeake Bay. We raised the sails on Saturday morning which was an exciting experience for all of us. We were amazed by how fast the students and crew climbed up the rigging as well as their seamanship skills. When we climbed up to the Crow´s Nest, we realized the students made it look a lot easier than it really was. We also were fortunate enough to receive a lesson in astronomical navigation and took turns using the Sextant. After a few tries and a lot of assistance from the crew, we were successfully able to locate our latitude position. Highlights of the day included rides in the Ship´s Boat and Zodiac RIB (rigid hulled inflatable boat) which were very fun! We even got to wear the special drysuits.
For our last night we sailed to anchor right outside our school in the Severn River. It is currently Sunday morning at 0800 and we are about to experience the challenge of taking up anchor by hand, another first time experience for us. Our trip will conclude as the HMS Falken moors pier side at the NavalAcademy in Annapolis as the crew gets to experience our fine town before sailing on to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We will never forget the knowledge gained and friendships made aboard the HMS Falken. We will try to keep in touch with the Falken and follow their journey online. This journey has given all of us a greater appreciation for the sea and sailing, and made us all wish to travel to Sweden some day. Thank you again for a great time aboard the HMS Falken, and as we say in the US Navy, “Fair winds and following seas!”
222 MIDN 3/c Lauren Hickey
303 MIDN 2/c Jordan Rettie
426 MIDN 4/c Alex Anicetti
