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A list of interesting things about the HMCS Ville de Quebec, in no particular order:

– the ship is 50 000 horsepower, making it one of the fastest ships in the world.  It cruises at about 20 knots (37/km/h) and can stop in two ship lengths (approximately 880 feet) and that is ridiculously quick; a tanker will take over one mile to stop
– it’s a frigate, which means ‘warship’
– it’s pennant number is 332, and that’s what’s said during radio communication “this is Canadian warship 332”
– there’s online access for the crew and they’re allowed to Facebook and almost everything except video, that would be far too hard on the servers

– every crew member is a trained “Damage Control (DC) Operator” meaning they’re a trained fire and flood fighter; this is in addition to their everyday job
– just living aboard is a good workout because you are constantly up and down ladders, stepping through doors and all with an air of hustle
– re: the old adage “a mouth like a sailor”… I didn’t see much evidence of that, but this is coming from a girl with a slightly caustic tongue so maybe I’m just unaffected
– there were 163 crew on board, and if they were on a mission there’d be almost 200
– the entire ship is compartmentalized, divided up into sealable sections, so should it take on water it may be contained and the ship will continue to float

– the Navy will pay you to get a college education at a growing number of colleges through their recuriting program, click here
– the crew is required to carry with them their jackets at all times because in the event of an emergency you need a double layer of clothing for fire fighting
– I’ve found a group of people that love symmetry as much as I do 
– the hours they work are 7 on / 5 off, repeat… and they work
– 2009 marks the 100th year of Sea Cadets

– a ‘sparrow’ is slang for having sailed 5000 nautical miles (9260km), and is a classic navy tattoo
– when they’re on a mission or in war-mode the term is “we’re in an Operational Theatre”
– our CDN Navy is one of the few in the world that allow its crew to drink alcohol on board. A beer is $1, no one abuses this privilege, and as a result when the crew goes ashore there are far fewer incidents of them losing their minds like there are in other navies 
– I always knew they were a very organized organization but OMG they are so much more organized than I imagined.  But really, after I gave it more thought, it couldn’t be any other way
– their pure white uniforms (so sharp) are reserved for ceremonial occasions

– the environmental standards they adhere to surpass those dictated by the government, like, this is one green ship
– sailor = gentleman
– you sleep in a little bunk, three on top of another which is called a “mess”, as in, “I slept in Mess 14” (I did) 
– the air inside the ship is SO pure.  Because it’s all sealed up, and what with people sleeping / eating / living I did not expect it to smell as pristine and, well, there is no smell. Far better than many apartment buildings I’ve been in

september 9 2009

– and as for the best thing I discovered, I’m saving that for the theme of the episode along with what I did tonight, that’s for the episode’s end, and it’s epic.

NOTE: if I’ve got anything wrong above make sure to correct me in the comments kay

september 9 2009

I’m sequestered deep in the ship, editing.  Shortly after I took these photos I fell asleep on top of my fannypack until someone woke me up and sent me to dinner.  

For a girl who has endless energy it was confusing why I was so sleepy but then I remembered something I learned from Curtis, a 20+ year Master Seaman, during ‘Operation Doors Open‘.

He said that “10 years of Navy life is like 20 years of civilian life” and I understand that now because woah, SO much gets packed into one day here that doubling the number might still not be enough.

When interviewing the crew today so many told me their favourite mission ever was last year’s ‘World Food Program‘ (WFP), but they felt down because they didn’t get much press about it, so listen up please.

september 9 2009
That’s a mural on the ship’s main weapon housing, also see it in yesterday’s post ‘1st Day on the Ship’.  

In August 2008 they sailed over to the east coast of Africa and escorted the WFP ships through the hostile waters of Somalia to ensure the food got to the people instead of the pirates.  By September 2008 already 60 pirate attacks had occurred, making this area the worst in the world for piracy.

Then, on their own volition, they decided to extend their stay by a month… when the other escort ships were canceling their WFP contracts because they were too scared.  This mission, along with other donations, makes Canada the 3rd largest donor to the WFP worldwide.  Read more about it here.

Okay so sleeping on a ship is like being in a sensory deprivation chamber.

Probably you’re not supposed to say “drove” but I’m not sure of the correct word.  Helmed?

While the crew was not far away, still I was in charge (way more than that time I flew a plane).  It takes immense concentration and it’s terrifying, look at my eyes:

september 8 2009
It’s worth a billion bucks, we were speeding along at 21 knots and if I were to jam the wheel too quickly everyone and everything below would start flying around.  I lasted 8 minutes before I said, “thank you no more”.  

Then I learned about navigation, and that screen there is the ship’s main navigation screen.

A path between points A and B is decided and entered into the computer based on ‘waypoints’ – little spots along the way that when you reach them in real life, a change in course is required.  To consistently hit all the waypoints you must do constant, fast and accurate math in your head which is why one is stationed here for 4 hours at a time max.  

Sea navigation is done in yards, miles and degrees, and when I asked what happens if you’re a few degrees off the reply was “this is the formula drilled into our heads – 1 degree at 1 mile = 33 yards”.  They told me to test people tomorrow to see if they knew the forumula, okay.

I also asked if anyone checks up on the actual course sailed versus the charted one, “oh yes Keri, and if they see a zigzagy line well, that’s just embarrassing”, ha.