Man Overboard!

Man Overboard!

We’ve been spending the last few days steaming around Majorca doing various drills and maintenance during the days. There is lots of activity and its accompanying noise all day around the ship. At night
we’ve been anchoring in Majorca harbor. We have a magnificent view of the bright city at night. Everyone is craving to get off, but it’s just not possible.

The ship has been a beehive of activity. Yesterday was the man overboard drill. We use a dummy made out of old clothes and a life vest. The maneuver is complicated because the ship can’t just stop.
We have to do a figure 8 turn to come back and get the victim.

Also on deck, some cadets were practicing the valuable art of plugging leaks. They do this on a special jig made of a steel plate with various size holes in it through which is forced sea water from a high pressure fire hose. They shove various objects in until they get the leaks under control. In the process they also get soaked which is a welcome relief in the hot, Mediterranean sun.

This morning they lowered the lifeboat to practice lowering and launching the boat. They took it a little away from the ship, then returned and raised it back up. Unfortunately, there was a problem with the electric winch and the boat had to be lifted back up by “cadet power”.

We’re going to steam some more around Majorca this afternoon, then head southwest and west to the Straits of Gibraltar and the open ocean. We should be there by Monday, ready for the voyage north up the Atlantic coast of Europe to Brest. The cool Atlantic waters will bring some relief to the warmth of the Ship.

Richard Delbango
Ship’s Librarian SST 2010