January 9th 2008 USNS PAUL BUCK
Product tanker
Having just left Rota, Spain we headed towards Milford Haven, Wales to pick up a full load of JP-5. The seas started to build as soon as we turned north around the bottom of Portugal, and the weather started to deteriorate. As the ship started to roll more and more you could hear loud crashes inside the house as unsecured items were thrown about. No one in the crew had been informed that the upcoming seas would be rough, but we did know we were heading to Wales in January. As the day wore on we all began to miss the placid seas of the Mediterranean.
As an overcast day became night the rolls got more and more violent, and the pitching greater and greater. Every 10 minutes or so you could feel as a “clean up set” of waves passed under the ship the house shook like we were in a small earth quake. I stood watch watching the ship’s inclinometer, a piece of curved glass tubing with a bubble in it, allowing one to read the angle of list. As the really big waves passed underneath the bubble would swing from 25 degrees on the starboard side, to 25 degrees on the port side. That’s 50 degrees of travel meaning 50 times more stuff to pick up that got thrown to the floor as this tanker got tossed around like an unwanted bath ducky.
On the 3rd of January our average speed was 1-3 knots, as we maintained our heading directly into the waves. We were completely “hove to” as they say, just trying to stay in survival mode and wait out the deteriorating weather. Any heading which would allow the waves to connect on the beam would mean disastrous rolling periods. When the really big sets of waves would come they would actually knock the ship backwards, digging the stern underneath the water and bringing tons of water on deck. The Captain and Chief Engineer had to tie their chairs to their desk to get any work done at all, and everything, I mean everything that wasn’t fully secured had become a flying projectile.
That morning the Bosun thought it would be a great opportunity to begin chipping rust on the aft side of the house since, for safety reasons, the Captain said no one was allowed forward of the house. We were to chip rust spots on the stair railings and aft side of the house on the O-3 deck, just one level below the bridge which is the highest level on the ship. This put us at basically at the top of the swinging pendulum, as the seas were now between 18-21 feet.
Since our ship was completely empty of cargo we were 20 feet above our loaded lines, giving us much more windage and making for a much faster roll period. A ship full of cargo simply has more momentum making the rolling much slower and not as exaggerated. A light ship however gives it more of a snap in its roll and making the actual distance traveled in a roll greater as you are higher out of the water.
So we managed to haul up the required air hoses and needle guns to the O-3 deck and set up shop, but the main goal was trying to remain on your feet as the ship constantly tried to buck you off. Only short steps could be taken. Never more than a few feet from a railing you had to carefully plan out your next step. On top of 50 degrees of rolling, it was blowing 60 knots true wind speed.
As I began chipping I could only dedicate one hand to holding the needle gun, while the other had to balance my entire body as it swayed back and forth trying to keep the ship beneath me. For really awkward spots I had to wrap my arms around the railing I was chipping while holding onto the gun, just to hang on. The howling wind blew the paint chips and rust everywhere. Then, beneath the dark skies, it started hailing. The winds were so strong they blew an ABs protective eye glasses straight off his face.
I will be finishing my P.I.C., which is a tankerman endorsement for discharging and loading cargo, on February 11th. This will complete my 90 days aboard this jet-fuel tanker having hauled her cargo between Wales, Spain, Italy, Greece, Crete, and Turkey. Once I have my P.I.C. I will have 110 days left on sea year.
Learning that the offshore sailing team will get the opportunity to sail the Farr 40 Worlds has been the best news I have heard since I left home some months ago. We are looking forward to competing against some of the finest pro sailors on the planet. I can not think of any other school where I would have this opportunity. Not many schools would have such faith in, or so much encouragement for, their student athletes. The opportunity to sail against the best in the world in Miami, FL this April makes getting through days like this one a little bit easier.
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