Crew Journal, Deck Department

30 September, 2009—Arctic West Fall 2009
After a minor delay we were finally underway on our tour to the north. During the first few days of our trip, the deck force was breaking in on helm and lookout. A lot of people think that this is an easy job, but driving this boat takes a bit of concentration. As helmsmen, we are responsible for the maneuvering of the ship, reporting sightings that are voice tubed down from the lookout, and keeping a constant eye on your instruments while steering. This was a challenge for me for the first few times of driving the boat. As for lookout, we are responsible for reporting contacts (boats, buoys, light-houses, etc.) to the bridge. Anything that could be a potential danger to the ship must be reported to the bridge, so the bridge will be able to maneuver the ship if need be. The deck force takes their job very seriously.
Our days normally consist of many evolutions ranging from small boat operations to anchor detail. We have a great Chain of Command that makes sure that we are being safe and focused on our evolutions, because what we do is very dangerous. We lift our small boats with a crane and lower them to the side of POLAR SEA to transfer personnel and stores between shore and our boat. This sounds easy but it isn’t. With us on water and the water always moving us, it’s very hard for us to keep control of the boat. The slightest movement of the boat can potentially send the small boat out of control when it is on the crane. Deck force is responsible for handling the lines on the small boat. This slows, or potentially stops, the movement of the small boat so it can be safely placed in the water. Everyone must pay attention and be focused on what’s going on, because if they aren’t it could be a real disaster.
When it comes to anchor detail, we all get a chance to perform the many jobs of this evolution. We are picked by the boatswain mates (BMs) to do our jobs after the safety brief. We have safety briefs before every evolution because like I said before, a lot of things we do on deck force is dangerous. We normally have one person pull the mousing and the pin that holds the pelican hook in place. We have one person with a sledge hammer that hits the pelican hook to release it from the chain that holds the anchor. From there the damage controlmen (DCs) normally man the brake which holds the chain. From there the anchor free falls till we get a certain length out, then it is instantly stopped by the brake. When it is determined that the anchor is holding, the cat’s paw is dropped by two of the deckies. After everything is done, 3 deckies are in charge of getting the pelican hook back on the chain to hold it in case the brake goes out. It takes 3 people to do this because this pelican hook is pretty heavy. It is also known for biting people.
~SN Avey