The Maritime Volunteer Service (MVS) celebrated its 30th Anniversary with a maritime dinner fit for an Admiral, on Nelson’s famous flagship HMS Victory.
MVS members with friends and families from various units around the UK, came together for a private tour and four course dinner on Admiral Lord Nelson’s historic flagship HMS Victory at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.
“Dining in HMS Victory’s Senior Rates’ Mess and having the entire ship to ourselves for the evening was quite a privilege. To celebrate the MVS’s 30 years in such a significant naval venue made it even more special,” said Paul Marlow, Regional Volunteer Officer, in charge of all MVS units in the Southern Region.
The MVS was formed in 1994 and came about after the disbandment of the Royal Naval Auxiliary Service (RNXS). There are 26 units spread across the UK and each unit has a core of experienced, volunteer members who are qualified to operate the boats and have in depth knowledge of boat handling, maintenance and repair. New members who want to learn these skills are encouraged to do so and are assisted by the older members, but there’s no obligation to do so. There are plenty who just want to mess around in boats and that’s fine.
The individual MVS units operate in ways that best suit their membership, facilities and location.
On Tuesday evenings some of Portsmouth Unit members go to their headquarters at Tipner for shore-based activities, while others go to Whale Island for an evening on the water practising boat handling on the unit’s 34-foot launch, MVS Arkwright pictured below left.
The Portsmouth MVS unit also has a role in marshalling the Round the Island yacht race and carries out other maritime based activities as and when opportunities arise.
Occasionally they get a crew together and take the boat for a day trip to some local point of interest; often families and friends are invited to join, so it becomes a combined navigation exercise and social occasion.
If you think you might enjoy the MVS’s activities and would like to join and volunteer, then contact the Portsmouth Unit of the Maritime Volunteer Service, at:
www.mvsportsmouth.wordpress.com
or at the National MVS: www.mvs.org.uk