|
We all know how difficult it is to make travel plans for ourselves, our family, or a group of friends. Now, try magnifying those decision-making,
tactical, and planning crises when organizing the Training Ship Golden Bear's (TSGB's) annual training cruise.
Can you imagine what it's like to take 250 cadets to sea? If you thought you had a lot to worry about, keep reading, and learn what it takes not
only to ensure the safety of the vessel and its passengers, but also how the captain, food and medical services, and engineering departments all
play a major part in many a cadet's dream to go to sea.
Getting Ready for Sea
Planning to sail a ship halfway around the world doesn't happen overnight. Planning for the
next cruise starts almost the moment a cruise is over. For many CMA staff, preparing for Cruise is
a full-time job. Not only do specifications have to be written for dry dock and repair, but also
contractors must be supervised. The academic program for both deck and engineering students
must be reviewed and written, food must be ordered and loaded, embassies must be contacted, and the list of "musts" goes on and on.
Loading
With the increased school enrollment, there are now two back-to-back 60-day cruise,
which require careful planning and coordination in loading the ship. This year, the student/staff
exchange will take place in New Orleans, introducing a new level of complexity. In New Orleans,
students will act as their own longshoremen to load spare parts, paint, deck engine and medical
supplies, computers, books, and food. They will also load the tendering boats and their cradles.
For the two cruise, approximately 500,000 gallons of fuel and lubricating oil will be purchased.
Education
The deck and engineering departments are responsible for determining the training objectives
of the cruise. Some of the topics taught on cruise include: ship handling, lifeboat systems,
engineering, weather data, line handling, computer systems, and radar usage. (For safety reasons,
only faculty holding valid Coast Guard licenses are allowed on cruise.) Once cruise assignments have been made, preparations begin in earnest. All books, notes, and demonstrations must be
gathered and prepared for transportation to the ship. If something is forgotten, there's no going back-at least not for 6 to8 weeks!
Food
With a captive audience to keep satiated for two-months' time, 12 kitchen staff work hard
to put nutritious and attractive menu options together. "Careful planning", says Eric Heuer, director
of Food Services, "is the key to 280 satisfied stomachs." To serve 47,00 meals over an 8-week
period, yet remain a little flexible, each meal has to be carefully scripted in order to determine the
quantity of supplies that needs to be brought on board inclusive of a 5 percent overage. While
provisions can be purchased abroad, they are usually just of the milk-and-fresh-produce variety.
Cruise is known to bring out the sweet tooth in most students, so no TSGB cruise is complete without its own baker on board. Mealtimes are the only occasion when cadets and crew can sit
down, relax, and forget about work for a while.
Medical
Medical preparations are as important as the nutritional component of the cruise. Equipped
with one examining room and a five-bed ward, X-ray capability, and basic lab facilities, each cruise
is staffed with an emergency room physician and nurse. The TSGB travels with a full set of
medical supplies, equipment, and pharmaceuticals in the event that emergency room procedures are necessary. The watch-word is anticipation, and plans are made accordingly.
Precruise preparation also includes random drug testing of 50 percent of the CMA student population participating in Cruise and 100 percent of all non-CMA students participating. Faculty
and staff going on board receive a pre-cruise physical.
|
