Helm Training Program

Today we did a mixture of advanced and beginner activites on CRV Pelorus. Initially we were working in and around the piles of the railway bridge to put a senior crew member through their paces in the strong tidal current coming through the channel. This involved tasks to challenge the helmsman to accurately judge distances, drift patterns, throttle control, gear selection, etc. With the strong tidal stream adding a large amount of complexity to all of the above they were asked to navigate and weave in and out of the piles within the smallest distance possible, yet totally in control - sometimes within 0.5m.

The second part of the session was dedicated to the two newer recruits who were doing close-quarter manoeuvring excercises in the marina.