This last day has been non-stop. We were supposed to cast off Gibraltar yesterday
afternoon after bunkering by 1130 and anchor in the evening; that didn’t happen
until after dinner time, and we just now are on the hook – 24 hours later. STCW trainings went all day yesterday
and today, being interrupted as necessary for bunkering, maneuvering, etc. Long story short, we are now on the opposite
side of Gibraltar from where we started, anchored amongst a fleet of bulk carriers,
tankers, and the ilk. I think we’ll
probably be here for a few more days while the trainings wrap up.
STCW training, which stands for Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping is one of the most lanticipated experiences of
cruise -- besides the ports. These training sessions are some of the most memorable
experiences a cadets will encounter during their Summer Sea Term. What’s meant to be a serious and rigorous
training of safety skills for the ship often turns into an enjoyable display
of teamwork and leadership. There are
many different hands-on sessions which are required of the students.
One STCW session involves a
partially deconstructed, hollow, metal container (about 6’ tall, 4’ wide, and
1’ deep) on the deck aft which is pumped full of water from a fire hose. Teams of five to eight students work together to block up the openings of the “wall” to prevent water from leaking
as much as possible to simulate an emergency in which a container (or room, or
hold) is taking on water. Random items like wood, pegs, rags, and boards are given to the students. They use them to stuff the leaks. Bathing suits are needed for this drill.
Mind you, there is no way that water will
stop leaking entirely, but rather to teach students how to approach Damage
Control to the hypothetical point where pumps would be able to react
quickly. This year’s time to beat was 5
minutes, 40 seconds!
Another station called Search and Rescue involves
students donning full firefighting gear and oxygen tanks. They are blindfolded to
simulate poor visibility, and crawl around a room to find and recover
a body (aka, a foam “dummy” dressed in a boiler suit). Students also have to learn how to raise and
lower the lifeboats, work water pumps, and assemble a bosun’s chair using a
complex series of knots.
The ship has truly become the classroom.
--Liz--
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