Hi guys
What a morning, Flight Quarters, boat OP's, Flight Quarters. Starting at 0400 for recovery of Saberhawk, right after that RHIB came back for a hot pump and a crew swap. Then all things were quiet till 0830. Then we had to lower the port RHIB, it was sitting in it's skid since we got because of a transmission prolblem. The powers that be decided that since we couldn't use it they were going to give us another one and hold on to ours till we leave out of the pond. Since we couldn't drive it over to the tug we used the sea painter and steadying lines to tow the boat to the port quarter, where we switched boats with the tug drivers. I don't know how I was picked but I ended up in the RHIB with a toll bag, because someone told BMC that we will need to hold on the slings because they are made for the davit. Beats me where that was pulled from, the book says that boat sling are not interchangable with other boats. Of course that probably from the time where boats could look the same but could differ greatly from another. BMC made it very clear that if we had any showstopper he wouldn't be very happy about it so stand by. Hey but no stress right. In the end though I didn't change anything. It was just too hot and sweaty weather to be screwing with stuff, especially if I didn't think it was necesary. When I say hot and sweaty I mean at by lunch time I was soaked through and through with sweaty. The good thing about that is whenever I went in for some A/C when I came out I would reamain cool for a good 5 minutes. So as soon as we switched out boats I made my approached and was hoisted out of the water. As soon as the boat was in the skids, before the belly bands were passed, flight quarters was called away and all but two people, left to install the bands, manned up on the STBD side. Me, Denis, Foreman, and Manalo, headed up to the flight deck.
Flight Quarters was a long, hot, pain in the butt. The first bird in was Saber Chicken for a hot pump, which went smoothly enough. But after that we were blessed with double desert duck hits. The first Duck was okay it just sat on deck for awhile, firstly for a hot pump, but later it was because they weren't sure how much baggage they wanted to carry. So we placed all the luggage and outgoing mail on the bird only to have to take half off it again. The second bird sat on deck because the Pilot didn't want to take on fuel. Ufortunately that would mean that by the time they reached Bahrain, 2 hrs later, they would be running on vapor. So they wanted to be sure exactly how many pounds were going to carry. All the while the ship kept telling them to take on fuel. the poor grape had to run up and from the spaces to the flight deck 2 to 3 times as would send for him and then send him back. Eventually, after they burned off enough fuel, they agreed to take on fuel. The Air Crew didn't appreciate the fact that it would take the Fueler 5 minutes to get on station. I thoght it was humorous since it was the Air Crew that sent the man down stairs. I wasn't LSE for the second Duck though. Manalo was looking a little ragged, so I let him stand around under the flight deck ceiling fan. by the time we got rid of the last duck Saber was ready to land again. This time was for shut down. I had finished off my water bladder prior to the first duck departing, so by the time we had strapped down Saber Hawk I was out of breath, light headed, and my heart was ponding. I guess it was a good thing then that was the end of flight quarters.
Now I'm finishing off the night on stand by. I wake up the davit section If we have to man up the boat davit or the fan tail to off load PAX. I also have flight quarters later during this watch also. But that is the the fun over here on the sunny side of the world so I'll just say so long for now.


Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips. -Psalm 141:3