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