Admiral's Journal: July 15, 2010
Dear Faculty, Staff, Parents and Friends,
We are now in the waters off Mallorca. The transit through the Straits of Bonifacio was absolutely awesome, even at 1 a.m.! It was a beautifully clear night- one of the clearest I’ve ever seen. Those on watch and those up to observe the transit were treated to a terrific star show. In addition to stars and planets, the Milky Way was very visible, and there was an abundance of meteors racing across the sky.
We’ll operate here, off Palma de Mallorca, for three days conducting various deck training drills and maneuvers. This is an ideal spot to do this training, as it is somewhat sheltered from the wind and seas, which will make putting our lifeboats into the water a little easier. The cadets who will be in the lifeboats will also appreciate the calmer seas!
In addition to lifeboat training, other out-of-classroom training includes damage control, block and tackle work, search and rescue in a simulated smoke filled space, mooring operations and man overboard drills. The damage-control trainer is a large metal box that has several holes and large cracks into which seawater is pumped under high pressure. The idea is to try to plug and fill the holes and cracks with whatever one finds - pieces of wood, cloth, hose, etc. to keep the water from flowing out. There is an overflow port at the top, and when water comes out of the top, the cadets know they have succeeded in “saving their ship” from sinking. While serious work, it is also a lot of fun, as everyone gets soaked with seawater, which is welcome on a hot day like today. In the confined-space search and rescue drill, a pair of cadets don breathing devices, are then blindfolded (to simulate a smoke filled room) and are then tethered to a rope held by a third cadet. They enter and search the room to ensure that no one who might be incapacitated is left in the room. In the block and tackle training, cadets rig and use blocks (pulleys) and tackle (line) to move cargo from one side of the ship to the other. The “cargo” in this drill is other cadets! All of these drills, while important in the safe operation of any ship, are tremendous learning experiences and also very enjoyable.
While all of this is going on, other cadets are on the bridge maneuvering the ship under the direction of Captain Smith. One of the maneuvers they learn to accomplish is the “Williamson Turn” which is used if there is a ‘man overboard’. While it is not the quickest way to turn a ship around, it is the best way to get headed back in the opposite direction on the same track or path the ship was on prior to something or someone falling off the ship. In one exercise today, the ‘man overboard’ (an orange paper bag) was out of sight by the time it was reported to the bridge it. Nevertheless, the maneuver proved to all just how effective it is, as within minutes of executing the turn and heading back down our track, the bag was sighted, and the ship was superbly maneuvered to a stop within a few yards of the bag, where it was easily retrieved. Very impressive, to say the least!
The engineers are not left out of these drills. Those on watch are keeping the plant operating efficiently and are responding to various engine speed changes that are being directed from the bridge. They also assist in the lifeboat drills, ensuring that the boat engines are in good working order and, like the deck cadets, learn how to launch the lifeboats.
At the end of each of our days here, we’ll proceed into Palma de Mallorca for anchor training, where we will remain overnight before heaving anchor the next morning for another day of training. From here, it is back out through the Straits of Gibraltar into the Atlantic, and then northward to Brest, France.
Sincerely,
John Craine
John W. Craine, Jr.
President
