Navy News, August 19, 2002

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Navy News is published fortnightly with its basic charter to inform and entertain our sailors wherever they are serving, in ships or on shore, at home or overseas.

August 19, 2002

		Rudderless rescued RAN divers from HMAS Kanimbla (CMDR David McCourt) wore their Gulf boarding helmets to prevent injury when they attached a new rudder to a disabled French yacht deep in the Indian Ocean earlier this month.

		Gracious lady arrives When the bright red 'Bravo' flag - "Warning! Firing in progress" - was hoisted on the HMAS Watson mast's signal halyard on the morning of August 7, the 60 sailors and VIP guests lining the headland knew it was time to welcome a beautiful lady to Sydney Harbour.

		CDF lauds Navy New CDF, GEN Peter Cosgrove, has acknowledged the Navy has been the busiest of the three services "in some ways" during the ADF's present high operational tempo. In an exclusive interview for the service newspapers, he said Navy had also been "in some ways" the least acknowledged service.

		Sex in the city What does a tugboat do when she comes across a pair of whales making love in the channel? She throttles back, turns hard to starboard and gives them a wide 'berth'. Such was the case for the master and crew of the Defence Maritime Services' RAN support tug Bronzewing on Sydney...

		Coll retires after 39 years Early this month, one of the Royal Australian Navy's longest serving sailors was presented with a special medallion on the eve of his retirement by Chief of Navy, VADM Chris Ritchie, at HMAS Stirling. CPONPC Stevan Coll, who walked down the gangway of HMAS Darwin for the last time while on...

		Quiet achiever comes home HMAS Canberra, the 'quiet achiever' in the coalition against terrorism, arrived home to a resounding welcome at Fleet Base West on August 2. The Melbourne-based navy band played "Waltzing Matilda" and "We Are Australian" while families waited anxiously with banners and balloons...

		Arunta notches half century HMAS Arunta has found herself facing what seems to be a concerted export drive underway from Iraq to the outside world. In the first two weeks after arriving on station in The Gulf the frigate boarded 50 cargo vessels coming down the waterway. Ten of them were non-compliant.

		Mutijulu comes to Cerberus Late in July HMAS Cerberus (CO CAPT Clinton Thomas) played host to a number of Aboriginal youths from a remote area of the Northern Territory as part of the Aboriginal Cultural Exchange Program.

		Letters to the Editor Calling ex CDs, Many thanks, Flags and masts, Saving Vengeance, Cadets and careers , More thanks.

		HMAS WORT

		Dikko

		Seas of change From rough nights to clear blue-sky days, from pods of dolphins to flying fish getting in the way, Northsail 2002 was another experience to remember. The adventurous training expedition involving two 11-metre RAN yachts, Alexander and Lady Penrhyn, departed from Sydney on April 21.

		Women fly high ADF women Australian rules footballers made a marked improvement on their inaugural effort at the 2002 Women's Australian Football Competition in Sydney. Unable to win a game at the 2001 national carnival in Melbourne, the ADF team shed its 'easybeat' tag by this year finishing fourth...