Carole receives qualification as Helmsman and Aft Helmsman 275 EX291 and Lookout- All Cutters presented by Captain Rozzi-Ochs, USCG.
( bathrooms) had vacuum toilets, like those on airplanes, and we were advised to take 3 minute“ sea showers”, no more than two times a day. To avoid congestion on the decks, foot traffic is counterclockwise, outside on deck. For accountability, there is a plan for where we muster for Quarters, drills, and emergencies. Underway, organics are separated from other wastes. I learned“ avast” is not just pirate lingo, it means,“ stop” or“ hold still”.
We sailed as well as under engine power while transiting the Gulf of Mexico. The sails, and the yards the sails are hung from, are controlled by hand with crew and cadets working the lines. There are two helms to steer the ship. The helms are located outside on the deck and are manned twenty-four hours a day, in all weather, while the ship is underway. The forward helm is comprised of three wheels operated by three to six persons. Each full turn of the wheels moves the rudder 5 degrees.
The aft helm has 1 wheel, the movement of each pin on the wheel moves the rudder 1 degree. The ship is normally steered from the forward helm, but in case the forward helm is inoperable, a gear box, known as the“ captains coffin”, behind the aft helm switches steering from forward to aft.
On the eve of Juneteenth, we were granted liberty aboard the ship; non-rates cooked dinner, followed by an ice-cream social and outdoor
18 OVER THE BOW USCGAUX FIRST DISTRICT SOUTHERN REGION- WINTER 2023