A3

By Lieut.(Navy) Matt Woodburn
HMCS deck officer

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Editor's Note: This article is part of a series on HMCS Fredericton and its role combatting piracy and terrorism overseas.

The professional sailor knows that regardless of where you sail, securing for sea is an important evolution, as important as loading stores or turning on radar and equipment.

It prepares everything onboard the ship to withstand the extreme movement that a warship at sea can do - rolling from side to side, pitching up and down, or a combination of both.

As HMCS Fredericton sailed from Halifax to embark on her six-month deployment to the Arabian Sea, this primary task presented itself quickly to the ship's company.

Though basic in technique, securing for sea is extremely important. It saves critical resources and equipment, which are not easily replaced at sea, from damage. Everything that is not permanently affixed to the ship soon will be.

It's time to ensure Fredericton is secure for sea. Every member of the ship's company is responsible to go throughout their personal areas and work spaces to ensure that all gear, equipment and personal belongings are lashed down tightly or stored away in a locker so that these items don't shift in a strong sea.

It becomes routine that you find your chair at your desk tied to the leg of the desk, you have bungee cord wrapped around printers and monitors, and you have Velcro behind every picture frame.

To ensure the ship is secured for sea properly, a set of rounds, or inspections, is conducted by the senior leadership of each department.

They're looking for anything sculling about the ship that could potentially cause injuries to sailors by a sudden shift within the ship or that could fall to the deck and be damaged.

But even with all the great work done by the ship's company to secure the ship, and even with a detailed set of rounds, there is always the unexpected breakage of dishes, the sliding gear or the tipping of equipment.

Like the Hollywood fruit stand or glass window during a car chase, you'll hear in the middle of a roll what was improperly stored.

Even now in the Mediterranean, we have seen the ship heel to port and starboard, though everyone agrees our North Atlantic voyage was much worse. Seeing eight-metre seas and winds gusting to over 80 km/h, certainly reminds you clearly why securing for sea is so important.

Naval terminology of the week

Sculling - To leave lying about or unattended

Buffer - This is a slang term for the chief boatswain's mate, the ship's senior boatswain.

Deck - What the civilian calls a floor.