May - June 2010: HMNZS ROTOITI
ROTOITI has had two particular highlights in recent weeks: hosting a few of the Defence Attachés accredited to New Zealand and, responding to a “Mayday” call for a tug fire.
Since our docking and maintenance period earlier this year, ROTOITI had been tasked with Operation RAPUNGA in support of Customs, in the general Hauraki Gulf and Northland areas. That was interspersed with sea training periods. But we also embarked some VR personnel and in another story SLT Andrew Morgan gives his impressions of our patrols.
Right: ROTOITI's RHIB collects lifeboats from the tug Koraki after the crew abandoned ship.
On 12 May, ROTOITI hosted some of the foreign Defence Attachés to a wet and blustery 'Shop Window' which included Boarding, RHIB, Damage Control and Man Over Board demonstrations. The Defence Attaches were appreciative of our efforts, but glad to get ashore at the end of the day!
On 15 June ROTOITI responded to a MAYDAY from the crew of a tug that had to abandon ship when their vessel caught fire. ROTOITI sent in a fire crew with full breathing apparatus and fire fighting equipment to extinguish the smouldering fire and cool the hotspots. Once it was confirmed that the fire was out, an overhaul of the compartments was carried out to ensure the fire didn’t reignite. Follow this link to read more about the fire and our response.
Left: CO ROTOITI, Lt Andrew Hogg with Defence Attachés on the bridge of ROTOITI.