encre_vol21_no3_anglais

TRAINING
HMCS UNICORN goes to sea
with HMCS SASKATOON
By A/SLt Shanette Dallyn, HMCS UNICORN
“B
e outside of your respective pick-up locations no
later than 0715! If you’re not there, you will be left
behind!” Those were the last words that members of
HMCS UNICORN heard before being left to our own devices the
night before joining HMCS SASKATOON in Esquimalt.
The next morning was chilly and that was to be expected for
February, yet, as per our instructions, we were waiting outside the
pick-up location at 0715. We were all anxious and excited for a
training opportunity like this. The UNI-SAS sail, although unique,
will hopefully be the beginning of many more joint training exercises
between NRDs and MCDVs.
Before we set sail, the ship needed to be prepped. As we arrived
at our new home, no time was wasted, as we were all thrusted
into temporary roles moving people, gear and stores about the
ship in preparation for the next week at sea. Both ’Unicorns’ and
’Saskatoons’ were already beginning to function as one crew.
Shortly after arrival and storing ship, we all gathered on the
bridge for introductions and briefings about the ship, the personnel
and expectations. HMCS SASKATOON’s Commanding
Officer, LCdr Patrick Montgomery, and Executive Officer, LCdr
Michael Sorsdahl, expected us to function flawlessly as one crew
and to learn as much as possible while on ship, and to work toward
more signatures on our respective learning packages. We were told
that in the days to come, a lot would be expected of us. We were
also encouraged to ask questions at any time as that was the main
purpose of this sail: to learn together and become better sailors.
EX UNI-SAS was developed in order to reinforce the Naval
Reserve’s role as a ’strategic reserve’ that augments the Fleet by
building working relationships between personnel in NRDs and at
sea, via esprit de corps development, team building activities and
training together. UNI-SAS proved to be an opportunity for
MARS officers awaiting training to gain real experience and
knowledge on the bridge of an MCDV. The deployment also created
opportunities for other members of HMCS UNICORN, such
as our Nav Comms and Bosns, to obtain more signatures on their
training packages. UNI-SAS was a much needed training sail due
to the fact that most of the HMCS UNICORN members have had
limited opportunities to go to sea during our training year. Several
Unicorns, myself included, had only ever spent time on an ORCA
during the sea phase of our NETP-O course.
Excited and ready to go, the newly-blended crew was about to
embark on an educational training sail with a new and welcome
set of learning curves and challenges!
On Monday February 20 th in the afternoon, HMCS SASKATOON
exited Esquimalt Harbour. Only a few hours into the sail, and
already we are all bustling about the ship, making ourselves at
20 LINK Vol. 21, No. 3, November 2012
Reservists from HMC Ships UNICORN and SASKATOON during training.
home in our new roles. I was paired up with SLt Allison Laker, a
Regular Force MARS officer, who was working toward her Bridge
Watch Keeper (BWK) Certificate. She was generous in teaching
me how to read and use the ECPINS and radar, fix the position
of the ship, fill out the log book, and all of the other instruments
required for our trade, as well as building general bridge presence.
She was patient, knowledgeable and confident in her role and
teachings, and was someone that I learned to trust very quickly.
Within minutes of my first crash course, courtesy of SLt Laker,
the con was turned over to me. I was driving the ship!
Each day, the MARS officers on HMCS SASKATOON would be
given time to be on the bridge. We would practice block reports
for contacts, conning and ship manoeuvring skills, man overboard
exercises, plotting courses and navigational passages. With each
watch turnover we would have more opportunities to learn, such
as the protocol and script for the turnover report. Slowly, but
surely, the trainee MARS officers from HMCS UNICORN would
learn what it was like on watch to trust the ship’s noises and
groans as it rolled and pitched over the ocean, thereby giving us
more confidence, a greater sense of bridge presence, and a more
keen seamanship instinct, undoubtedly all valuable experiences to
becoming better sailors in general.