HMNZS HAWEA August 2011 - Update
HMNZS HAWEA Progess report from August 2011
By LT Matt Kalo
In early May HAWEA set sail for her home port, Westport, on the first leg of a circumnavigation of New Zealand while undertaking a multi-agency patrol of our coastline. During our four week patrol we visited Tauranga, Westport, Milford Sound, Stewart Island, Dunedin, the Marlborough Sounds and Napier before returning to Devonport Naval Base via the West Coast of the North Island.
HMNZS HAWEA in Milford Sound
First port of call was Westport. After watching documentaries of how to enter over the bar into Westport in rough weather it was a pleasant surprise to find that it was a calm day as we were guided in by dolphins. From there it was on to Milford Sound. The wind was blowing more than 60 knots and the sea was very rough. Inside the Sounds it was clear as glass. The RHIB Cox’n’s took advantage of the weather to practise their approaches and teach the OOW’s the ways of the Force. From waterfalls to dolphins, it was so serene; shoaling of more than 20 metres was visible from the surface.
From Milford we battled six metre waves before entering Precipice Cove, a challenging anchorage that was not well charted. Later, in the open sea the ship was rolling heavily and surfing the waves, making good 32 knots before taking shelter in Patterson Inlet, Stewart Island. The wind whipped over the terrain and within half an hour of anchoring we experienced a fast drag, followed by a one nautical mile racetrack.
Once the weather had calmed slightly, we forged on up the coast to Dunedin. It was not so rough on the East Coast, giving the crew a chance to practice breakdowns and drills. With the weather improving HAWEA set sail for Napier, stopping in the Marlborough Sounds for pilotage training and aiding MFish in distribution of information on the new blue cod fishing regulations.
HAWEA rendezvoused with HMNZS WELLINGTON off the coast of Napier to conduct screenplay and a formation entry. After embarking sea-riders, customs and fisheries officers over the weekend; HAWEA headed back down through the Cook Straight and up the West Coast on a fisheries tasking, boarding several fishing vessels as we transited to Devonport.
June began with OOWMANs with HMNZS OTAGO in the Hauraki Gulf, where SLT Smith executed a tiddly manoeuvre from ahead to astern. By mid week we were calculating helicopter approach courses and providing distraction training for three Iroquois and a Seasprite, practicing VERTREP and winching. Thursday night we embarked JOCT who had been completing their final assessments, and put them in a life raft for the evening.
The end of June saw HAWEA off Great Barrier Island assisting with Exercise Trident Warrior, a test of civilian communications. While anchored off GBI we had the pleasure of hosting the Chief of Navy before returning to DNB to conduct harbour training and maintenance.