Nock-off time
With Cessnock’s final days approaching, ABPH Kaye Adams tells of the trials and tribulations experienced in the lead up to their last exercise.

With only weeks to go before she is decommissioned, HMAS Cessnock (LCDR Tony Powell) isn’t showing any signs of winding down.

Quite the contrary, this 22-year-old Fremantle class patrol boat is continuing to actively patrol the northern Australian waters and just recently apprehended two illegal fi shing vessels.

SERENE: HMAS Cessnock at sunset.

WATCH OUT: LSBM Peter Smets, ABMT Aaron Felmingham (middle) and Executive Officer LEUT Andrew Montgomery patrol one of Australia’s remote beaches, while keeping a close eye out for crocodiles.

OVER AND OUT: HMAS Cessnock’s ABMT Aaron Felmingham (boat driver) and Executive Officer LEUT Andrew Montgomery on a search for illegal fishing boats.

All photos: LSPH Kaye Adams

I joined Cessnock to capture her final patrol period March 22 to May 12 with video and photography, during which she was undertaking Operation Relex and
Operation Cranberry duties, as well as training the Army’s Transit Security Element (TSE).

My first attempt to join the boat was put on hold when a warning for tropical cyclone Ingrid put Darwin on alert.

Cessnock was forced to sail quickly north of Darwin Naval Base for cyclone avoidance.

After successfully circling the cyclone, Cessnock then proceeded eastward as Ingrid continued west.

The crew later assured me that if I had sailed with them, there would not have been many happy photographs to collect as the duration of their journey was spent experiencing sea states 4 and 5, which I am told is not a pleasant experience when you’re on a patrol boat.

As Cessnock turned her direction back home, the ship experienced a second unexpected turn of events.

A defect occurred on the port main engine gearbox restricting use of the engine to approximately 10 knots to return to Darwin in the remaining unfavourable weather.

Investigation into the defect of the gearbox revealed deteriorated seals within a main shaft. With such a short time left before decommissioning, a decision had to be made.

I waited anxiously to find out if Cessnock would indeed ever sail again. Never to be deterred, the ship proposed to rebuild the gearbox in situ.

With little naval expertise remaining on gearbox rebuilds, ships staff and FIMA Darwin took on the task with vigour.

On completion, the rebuilt gearbox remained out of alignment with the engine.

The crew were determined to complete their last patrol, and while many people enjoyed a long Easter weekend on leave, Cessnock staff worked around the clock to remove the port engine to realign it.

Successful sea trails followed and the boat was back on schedule again.

I sailed with Cessnock on April 3 with cameras ready to capture its movements for one of the ship’s last remaining civil surveillance patrols.

There were several Op relief members on board to fi ll the gap for crew members that had been released for external training, so our first few days on board were spent conducting team building exercises and continuation training on a daily basis, including man overboard exercises, fire and casualty exercises, boat evolutions, boarding party training and a small arms shoot.

The new crew for this patrol included three female crew members, a first for Cessnock.

Many of the crew had never sailed before with female sailors on board, so it was a new experience for all.

Other than a voice commenting “now that’s something I’ve not heard before” when LS Jackie Percy’s voice rang out over the main broadcast from the bridge during a steering gear failure exercise, the crew incorporated the new arrangement with ease and professionalism.

The embarked TSE team quickly integrated with the ship’s company, and gained valuable experience working on the helm whilst assisting the crew with their watchbills.

The TSE team, lead by CPL Suzanne Sheather, are Army reservists from 11 Brigade, based in Townsville and Mackay who have been operating out of Darwin since February on Op Relex.

Their “just get the job done” attitude, proved a real plus to add to the team effort on board.

They also came equipped with plenty of witty come backs already prepared for when the sailors started their jovial ribbing of their green presence on board.

This held them in good stead with the ship’s company. As we patrolled along the remote Australian coastline east to the Wessels Islands, a call came through from Northern Command (NORCOM), requesting boarding party teams investigate some of the more unsurveyed parts of Australia.

As Cessnock anchored near a remote beach, I joined a shore party to search by RHIB and foot to ensure the integrity of these localities.

The search of these beautiful, remote and pristine beaches was marred only by the marks of discarded fishing paraphernalia and rubbish from the maritime community.

Plenty of recent tracks were found, indicating the presence of native animals such as crocodiles, turtles and wallabies.

The multitude of crocodile tracks found had me keeping close to LSBM Smets who carried a Steyr for protection from any unexpected snapping handbag attacks.

As we returned to the boat, we readied ourselves for a quiet night to relax, play a game of touch rugby on the beach, a steel deck BBQ, a few games of Uckers and see about asking the cook (LS John Carter) to whip up a birthday cake for LSBM Smets.

Our plans were rapidly changed when we were tasked to assist Coastwatch investigating recent sightings of FFV’s.

Weighting anchor, Cessnock proceeded at speed to the last known position of the contacts, and after selecting a number of high value targets, the entire crew went to boarding stations and proceeded with the long and lengthy process of investigating and apprehending the Indonesian commercial fi shing boats, otherwise known as “ice boats”.

The training that Cessnock had previously completed ensured a smooth and effi cient boarding.

The first boarding was conducted just before sunset, and the second was completed during the darkness of night.

By midnight, two large ice boats had been handed their apprehension notices by the boarding party offi cer, LEUT Andrew Montgomery, and were to be escorted back to Darwin.

On completion of the apprehensions, steaming parties were placed on both vessels for the long and slow passage to Darwin with a maximum speed available for the apprehended vessels being 6 knots.

The vessels were escorted back under control of LSBM Smets, LSMT Mick O’Donnell and ABBM Luke Docherty and ABBM Ashley Shephard.

For LSBM Smets, it was a case of old technology closing the gap to home, as his wife passed on birthday wishes through Cessnock’s satellite phone, which were then repeated through VHF radio at midnight.

He had a good laugh about it later; saying that spending a night on board an Indonesian fi shing boat wasn’t how he thought he would be spending his birthday.

The steaming parties rotated every 12 hours on the vessels whilst the rest of the crew covered the holes left in the watch bill making this operation a real team effort for which the patrol boats are well renowned.

As the slow journey back home stretched out over the next three days, we made time to stop at 1100 on April 8 to mourn with the nation and pay our respects for those lost on HMAS Kanimbla’s Sea King flight.

The CO read out words from Kanimbla’s XO during the ceremony which was not only moving but had our hearts reaching out to their crew.

Cessnock returned to Darwin on April 10 and turned the Indonesian boats over to the authorities.

Once back at Darwin Naval Base she readied herself to sail again two days later for her next duty.

I completed my task to collect a variety of images depicting life on board a patrol boat, all the while, having my own experience of life on board.

There are so many things that make boats different to our other vessels, but the most notable things are the tight knit teamwork, the familiarity between the 24-person crew, who seldom have to be asked to do something, as everyone just pitches in to do what has to be done.

Cessnock will conduct her final entry into the port of Darwin with her decommissioning pennant flying on the May 11 and will decommission from the RAN after 22 years of loyal service on June 23.

The ship’s motto “no steps backwards” will be upheld till the very end.

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