Exercise Sea legs

Sunday 9 January, Statsraad Lehmkuhl embarks on a new crossing of the Atlantic, from Newport in the USA to Horta in the Azores.

On the leg across the Atlantic, and the next three legs as well, 72 cadets from the Norwegian Naval Academy will be the ones pulling ropes, stand at the helm, and do the lookout and fire watch.

Exercise Sea Legs

If you want to be a good boss, it's smart to have experience from the workshop floor, or deck and orlop in this case.

- As always on board Statsraad Lehmkuhl, it will be both rewarding and educational for the cadets, says commander Christian Øxnevad-Gundersen.

According to Øxnevad-Gundersen, the Norwegian Navy has given the voyage the name Exercise Sea Legs, and steady legs will certainly be needed. The Atlantic ocean in the winter is usually a cool and windy experience.

In groups

Normally, the cadets line up in uniform on the quay, before boarding. The corona pandemic has changed this. The cadets went on board in three groups, after being tested for corona.

- Everyone tested negative immediately before they came on board Thursday night. We test again before departure on Sunday, and in the meantime they have been ordered to wear masks, and keep distance between the groups, also during the training, says captain Marcus Seidl.

Fun, and a bit scary

In addition to working as crew members, the cadets must attend classes. Cadet Sander Marken knows that this is no holiday cruise.

- It will be very exciting to see how everything will work out. I'm very glad, but of course a little scared too, he says.

Snow on deck

For most of the cadets, sailing open oceans in the middle of the winter is something completely new and exciting.

- It will be a raw experience, it will be a lot of fun, a lot of hatred, but also good fellowship and a good atmosphere It will be good, we are looking forward to it, smiles cadet Sigurd Bergsli.

Already the first morning on board he got a taste of what awaits them. Friday morning, the cadets woke up to snow on deck.