In order to assure itself of the fitness level of its crew for what promises to be the most challenging season yet, the Admiralty of the Liechtenstein Princely Navy decided to introduce a compulsory Boot Camp to commence the 2007 training season. Under the command of Lt. Streun and CTA Charlie all attending Sailors were put through a rigorous all-terrain fitness regime that pushed crews not only to their physical, but also mental, limits.

The inaugural Boot Camp commenced on a cold and drizzly Saturday morning in March at 0700hrs at the Mui Wo Pier in Central. Crews were asked to bring a 20l back-pack, 2 liters of water, spare clothes, sunscreen and mosquito repellent and gloves – all packed in waterproof zip-lock bags! Despite weeklong protests and complaints from numerous crews, the Admiralty was pleased to report an excellent turnout of 18 Sailors – a full boat.

On the way to Mui Wo crews were provided with additional Foster’s fuel – and weight! – that needed to be carried along for the mission. Camouflage paint was applied to mission-hungry and combat-starved faces. The camouflage exercise was a bit pointless for those Sailors that turned up in bright new sneakers and white socks – an easy sniper target for any enemy within a 2km radius.

Once disembarked in Mui Wo Lt. Streun led the troops on a warm up run along the coastal hills of Southern Lantau. The first few obstacles – exposed sewer pipes high above the ground – were quickly overcome and much ground was gained in the first hour.

Further along the trail Lt Streun challenged our crack troops in pairs of two in a physical exercise that could easily be solved with some mental strength – climbing a slippery rope to touch a tree branch at 3m height. While some brain power would have suggested tying a knot into the rope for easier access the preferred option of the average Alpha Male Sailor was to tackle the problem head-on with raw force. Liechtensteinian to the core!!!

From here it was pure Apocalypse Now – continuing through dense banana tree jungle and rough undergrowth – until we hit a small stream. It finally dawned on all crews why the zip-lock policy was introduced at the outset. After a few short and pointless protests from a few Sailors, the entire platoon waded crotch deep through the ice cold mud and water. Sailor Mits was unfortunate to lose his balance half way through and enjoyed a more refreshing dip in the stream.

Thoroughly soaked to the bone, the crews were now sufficiently awake for a long and strenuous climb to an un-named 275 meter peak. While Sailor Reto was prepared to give up and have a smoke less than a quarter up the mountain the Navy was determined to leave no man – or woman – behind. Sailor Peter struggled up the hill with a bad back while Sailor Mits pushed far beyond his previous limits on the tow of Able Seaman Frauenfelder. But despite much huffing and puffing – and swearing in Japanese – the entire crew made it to the top in good time.

On the downhill sprint Sailor Alex’ brand new backpack gave way to the weight of its contents and blew up like suicide bomber’s luggage with his Foster’s supply exploding across the path. The smell of spilt fuel lingered in the air for a long time… After a final wading through the creek at Pui O beach all crews eventually reached our base camp some three hours after having taken off from Mui Wo.

However, the mission was far from over. In the contrary, CTA Charlie who had prepared the camp for further exercises was now going to take the troops through their paces. Numerous sets of push-ups and sit-ups were followed by different sprint races across the sand – including the “rickshaw” and “superman” maneuvers. Sailor Mits – by now drenched in sweat but in excellent spirits – added sand to his diet when he fell head first into the beach during one of the runs.

The final exercise involved teams of four to paddle up and down the beach by canoe – a discipline that should be well suited for a world-class navy. Navigation however seemed to be a tricky issue, with canoes pointing into all different directions during the exercise.