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ROPED
IN: Cadets of TS Sirius carry out sea survival drill on
Botany Bay.
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Photo:
POPH Damian Pawlenko
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By
Graham Davis
The
cadets of TS Sirius got very serious about Survival at Sea training
on Botany Bay recently. Twenty four teenage boys and girls took
part in the training, which began on the Friday night with a
90-minute lecture on sea survival and the use of emergency equipment.
The instruction was given by PO Peter Robinson, a former permanent
member of the RAN and now an Active Reservist in charge of the
survival equipment unit at FIMA/Sydney.
The following morning saw the youngsters taken by their Commanding
Officer, LCDR Phil Anderson, to the shores of Botany Bay. WO
Ian Sutton, head of the Navy Indoor Sports Centre, donned a
wetsuit and life vest to act as the safety officer and joined
them.
AB Lance Perry (PN) and a training officer with TS Sirius, joined
in. Split into two groups, the cadets, aged from 12 to 18 years,
donned protective orange thermal suits provided by FIMA, making
sure all air was discharged from the legs and torso (to keep
them dry). Then they inflated their lime yellow vests. Working
in pairs the cadets swam on their backs out to a given point
and returned swimming face down.
A rescue boat hovered during the drill. At one stage the cadets
tied themselves together as might occur in a real rescue scene.
With the practical session complete, the youngsters returned
to TS Sirius for lunch.
Another session of theory followed, leading to a 25-item written
questionnaire.
The day ended with the presentation of course completion certificates
to the cadets. The course was a good example of how the levels
of Navy combine and co-operate. Members of the permanent service
joined Reservists to help the potential RAN members of the future.
HMAS Kuttabul and its ship’s company have recently adopted TS
Sirius.
The sea survival course undertaken by the Sirius cadets will
stand them in good stead whenever they go to sea on an Australian
warship or take part, as they do on a regular basis, in sailing
regattas.
For PO Robinson, TS Sirius cadets is just one of a number of
cadet units which receives his tuition. He also carries out
sea survival training at Training Ships Hawkesbury, Albatross,
Shoalhaven, Sydney and Condamine.
Training cadets runs in the
family, as his wife, LCDR Robin Houston, is the Commanding Officer
of TS Koopa on Bribie Island in Queensland.
The
bridge that goes nowhere
By
LEUT Tom Lewis
Why is the term “bridge” used to signify the place from where
a ship is conned? This must be a modern term, since it does
not occur in the records of wind-powered navies.
We know that in those days a ship was commanded from the quarterdeck
at the ship’s stern.
Steering was carried out from a position forward of this by
a quartermaster manning the ship’s wheel, which connected cables
to the tiller flat below. The term “bridge” seems to have arisen,
at least as far as authorities such as The Oxford Companion
to Ships and the Sea are concerned, from the days of paddle
steamers.
With a paddle wheel on each side of the ship, it was found far
more convenient in terms of visibility ,to command the ship
from a bridge across the driving machinery between the two wheels.
When propellers were introduced the useful bridge was retained,
and with the funnels producing smoke it was natural to move
the bridge further forward to stay clear.
