Ahoy!

Typical Wednesday aboard TS Golden Bear - we arrive in Busan, South Korea tomorrow and could not be more excited. Still through all the excitement and being out at sea for 14 days, the cadets are hard at work. Today we conducted our weekly fire and abandon ship drills, except this time the cadets got an opportunity to train with the fire hoses on the bow beforehand. 

Once suited out and ready to fight a fire, the emergency response team will take up a formation like the one pictured above to assist one another with fighting the fire. If you've discharged a fire hose before, then you know how heavy and hard to control they are due to the water pressure. 

In teams of seven, each group of cadets practiced the different positions for the fire hose and walked through each step when approaching and handling a fire at full mist and at full stream. As you can see, there are two main techniques for spraying water: mist and straight stream. Full mist is a very important step when fighting a fire because it acts as a shield and reduces air flow (fuel) for the fire. When fighting a fire with a straight stream, you want to aim at the base of the fire, not the flames. Kneeling helps create a secure base for maneuvering with the hose. 

By mid-day, we had our weekly fire and abandon ship safety drill. Today we did a scenario for a fire in the galley. Each time we practice the fire drill, the fire teams turn out into their gear in order to practice the ability to quickly and efficiently suit up. Fellow cadets assist the fire teams with getting suited for the drill. It is our goal to complete the drill within 6 minutes, so assistance is needed to ensure this can be accomplished quickly. 

 

 

Chief Mate Doug Nagy instructs the cadets on how to fight the (simulated) galley fire. Did you know? Some of the most common places for shipboard fires to start are in the galley, laundry rooms, and the engine room. Throughout Summer Sea Term, we rotate and practice "fighting fires" in different areas on the ship. 

The fire and abandon ship drill was a resounding success with a swift positive muster, a testament to the cadets' preparedness and training while on their Summer Sea Term. As the day drew to a close, the cadets reflected on their performance, knowing that each drill brings them
one step closer to being fully prepared maritime professionals.

Of course we cannot forget our engineers! Today their projects included working on a strainer and one of the fuel oil purifiers, pictured above.

Fair winds and following seas!

~Faye Joelson, Assistant Purser & Jessica Fowler, Purser

Check back often and follow the voyage with our blog series that gives the latest news from Summer Sea Term! TSGB will travel to Honolulu, HI, Busan, South Korea, Yokohama, Japan, and Los Angeles, CA prior to returning to Vallejo on August 5th.

Stay tuned for updates to the Follow the Voyage blog.