Ins and Outs

In the Vessel Operations program, the Sophomore class has been going out more frequently and its been a while since we’ve been out on the vessels Privateer and Indy 7. I am extremely excited because we are finally underway and we have been going over the basics of startup for the vessels. For example, we have been doing engine checks and looking at all the necessary components for making the vessel operate. An engine check composes of checking the oil by using the dipstick twice to see if the oil is low, high, or damaged. Also, we check coolant to see if it is clean or low along with the alternator belt tension for stiffness or loosening. The other thing we check is the transmission fluid for similar problems as the oil. I personally enjoy working hard and fixing what is broken and if its not broken, I try to improve it such as lines left on the deck. Lines left on the deck are a tripping hazard and are often useful for later commands but if they are not coiled into clockwise ovals, they are a dilemma. The floor panels and other parts of a boat can be raised up, as it is their purpose, but they can also come up by themselves which will often be a source of accidents. We’ve been working on man overboard drills and they’ve been better than I expected. We drop a dummy into the water while we’re underway and we know it’s coming, we just don’t know when. Then, we follow normal protocol which is to, yell man overboard, toss the life ring, and to have a spotter. The spotter yells out distances continually while a group works on the rescue and the rest of the crew remain on standby, out of everyone else’s way. During the drill, there was great communication between the crew and every time we go out, we improve every aspect that we know.

-Joe Budhu