Topic: Coastal Defense Ships.

[BIG E]

Hi. If sailors are posted on a Coastal defense ship are they on it for 2-4 years? How far can the ships go off coast? No offense, but isin't it kind of boring to be posted on one of these ships?

[Pat in Halifax]

Careful !! - You have opened up here for a full broadside with you "kind of boring" comment- I will let someone from 'that' side answer your questions. In another thread though is discussed a BLUE GAME deployment (Mine countermeasure exercise in Scandanavian waters).

[kratz]

The MCDVs are manned primarily by reservists and assisted by 2-3 RegF positions. The core crew positions are posted to the ships in a class C billet for 2 or 3 years, though a sailor may be attached posted between ships depending on the needs of the fleet. These ships have had a heavy sailing schedule since they have been brought into service. It is not unheard of to be away from the wall more than 280 days a year and away from home port for the majority of those days. The MCDVs are intended for coastal patrol, but are capable of blue water sailing when needed. I have seen NavRes sailors chose to reject contracts/extentions after a few years and return to NRDs to take a break from the work on board. Things are far from boring on the MCDVs.

[BIG E]

Thank you Pat and Kratz, you answered my question

[Chief Stoker]

Let's see I have been to Europe twice, Great Lakes, Baffin island, above the Arctic circle, Northern Labrador. almost every major port in the US as far as Florida, Bermuda, the Caribbean, Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico shall I go on? Generally a person goes to one ship for a 2 year contract or shorter, with a one year extension, some people stay longer. I have been sailing continuously for 14 years, my choice. We don't sail too much anymore, it has dropped to 160 days away and lower. Not many jobs open right now, we are standing down 2 or 3 vessels on the east coast due to cutbacks. As for boring, not really its what you make of it.

[Ex-Dragoon]

Hi. If sailors are posted on a Coastal defense ship are they on it for 2-4 years? How far can the ships go off coast? No offense, but isin't it kind of boring to be posted on one of these ships?

At least call it an MCDV or Kingston class.

[Antoine]

Not many jobs open right now, we are standing down 2 or 3 vessels on the east coast due to cutbacks.

Still room for new NAvRes MARS officers on the West Coast ?

[hamiltongs]

Still room for new NavRes MARS officers on the West Coast ?

Oh yeah. It's primarily a shortage of MARS - and even more so in MESOs - that's forced the reduction in the number of ships sailing, aside from quality-of-life issues (which never really drive decisions in the navy - they're just used to justify them after the fact  ).

[Antoine]

aside from quality-of-life issues

How come?

I've heard that MARS training is hell until you reach Lt(N) and then it is Whisky & Cigars all day long, and it gets even better at higher rank

[Antoine]

Joke aside, it might be frustrating when you have a job to do but not enough sailors and finances to reach the goals or to get training on ships. I was walking around the Stanley park today and watched some sailors training on their zodiac, it was a rainy and cold day.
I was wondering, how often does a Kingston-class vessel come to Vancouver ? I guess that sailors from HMCS Discovery need to get on board these vessels at Esquilmat and not Vancouver?

[hamiltongs]

I've heard that MARS training is hell until you reach Lt(N) and then it is Whisky & Cigars all day long, and it gets even better at higher rank

There's a higher rank?

I was walking around the Stanley park today and watched some sailors training on their zodiac, it was a rainy and cold day.
I was wondering, how often does a Kingston-class vessel come to Vancouver ? I guess that sailors from HMCS Discovery need to get on board these vessels at Esquimalt and not Vancouver?

There's a limit to what can be meaningfully done on a ship in a single day, so class "A" guys usually train on ship for at least a full weekend and usually longer. DISCOVERY guys join the ship in Esquimalt along with people from elsewhere in the country on those occasions.

What you saw in Stanley park was probably a boat of the Port Security Unit of JTF Games. It's cold, wet and needs to be done.

[Antoine]

It's cold, wet and needs to be done.

I agree with you. Must be a great training opportunity for reservists this Op Podium, I wish I could be there !

Do you know if we are going to see some CF war ships in the Georgia Straight during the Olympics ?

Regards,

[Cronicbny]

How come?

I've heard that MARS training is hell until you reach Lt(N) and then it is Whisky & Cigars all day long, and it gets even better at higher rank

Well, the training initially is quite challenging. Then you move on to "career courses", which, as Hamiltongs can vouch become more frustrating than difficult or challenging. I wouldn't call life as a Lt(N) in the ships a great joy of whisky and cigars either. There are certain... how should I say it... "frustrations" that exist being the frequent DeckO/OpsO or DeckO/NavO - the manning shortages have resulted in myriad job title combinations with commensurate workload. The ships no longer sail 280+ days a year, and here on the West Coast, we only sail 3 hulls about 160-190 days.

That being said, we are in real extremis in the officer core in the KINGSTON class (West Coast is the only thing I can speak to) at the moment... We have just enough to man three ships for the forseable future and come the MARS IV schedule this summer we may not have enough for even that.

In short, if you're looking for a challenge - you're looking in the right direction. There is tons to do and tons to learn - one distinct advantage of the manning shortage is that the opportunities for "control" (IE driving the ship for alongsides etc) are increasing and mentorship is easily available - and of excellent quality.

[Antoine]

Thanks for your reply, in fact my comment about Whisky & Cigars was just a silly joke 

Regards,

[hamiltongs]

Well, the training initially is quite challenging. Then you move on to "career courses", which, as Hamiltongs can vouch become more frustrating than difficult or challenging.

Seriously, though - have you seen the lease line allocation message?

Just curious.