Mar 08 - Survey operations through March
The end of February saw survey operations continued apace despite the varying weather conditions and concurrent with ship’s Damage Control exercises and Engineering drills. However the beginning of March saw a period of heavy seas and the ship sought shelter in the lee of Gisborne Harbour entrance and anchored overnight. As always the ships company took the opportunity to drop a few lines over the side and it was the turn of the Wardroom fishing party to land a nice haul of kahawai, which was promptly smoked a day later. After a day or so of rough weather, the decision was made to return to the survey grounds to see if conditions were suitable for data collection. It was during this time that the Ship embarked two University of Otago Hydrographic Survey students. This was an excellent time for them to witness hydrographic operations at sea prior to the ship returning to Devonport. Sporties on Wednesday provided some light relief with the Inter-mess trophy up for grabs, this week the contest going to the Senior Rates at volley ball, who narrowly defeated the Wardroom in a tough match.
Image Right: Volley ball on the Avon deck (NIS-03-073).
As the survey area neared completion, final sea bed samples and system calibrations were conducted before the call of the Naval Base set in and passage home was commenced. As the navigation track took the ship near Ranfurly Bank, a small window of opportunity was taken to stop in the water and conduct a Fishex. In fairly rough conditions the ship manoeuvred over the fishing ground allowing two drifts and resulting in a rather nice 13kg Kingfish for POET Matty Anderson. Expectation mounted with the ship's impending return to her base port, however for the Engineering department there remained a full day’s breakdown drills along with performance trials and vibration analysis on the 6 Mar to provide some much needed training for the watch keeping engineers. The ship entered harbour and berthed at Devonport Naval Base early on Friday morning and the second part of the survey calibrations were commenced as the ship was stored, fuelled and scrubbed down in preparation for the next week’s evolutions.
Above Image: POET Anderson and his catch (NIS-03-074).
Weekend leave was piped and all but the Duty watch remained on board as the ship’s company caught up with friends and family after being away for seven weeks. All too soon, leave expired on Monday morning and the ship welcomed on board nine trainee OOW’s and the Navigational Training Staff. Following an 8am departure the ship commenced the first of three weeks of Officer Of The Watch (Basic) training in and around the Hauraki Gulf.
The week started at a fairly gentle pace, with the trainees getting to know their way around the ship and more importantly the bridge, as the ship officers and crew conducted pilotage out to the Hauraki Gulf. From then on, the trainees were ‘given the con’ and the ship started its clockwise circumnavigation of the gulf. Man overboard exercises and steering gear breakdown drills became routine for every watch as the students were put through their paces and brought up to speed on their officer watchman-ship in a coastal setting. Wednesday and Thursday saw HMNZS TE MANA operating close by and conducting several Boardex’s, using RES as the target merchant vessel. Various members of the ship’s company dressed up in ‘pirate rig’ and convincingly played the part of the swarthy crew! Upon the ships return to Devonport, it was the turn of the students to conduct the pilotage into Auckland, a fitting end to their first week at sea.
Left Image: OOW Training - Lt Rewi Thompson instructing Mid Sam Palmer (NIS-03-075).
Right Image: OOW Training - XO receiving a pilotage report from Mid Kurt Durrant (NIS-03-076).