HMAS Adelaide disabled on relief mission.

[kauvaka]

Originally Posted by Malcolm G

Thanks for the update - Sounds all well organised.
What part is HMAS Adelaide, and her crew, playing?

Adelaide with her crew and presumably the troops who embarked in Australia are parked offshore. Too far off to see what is happening but as far as I know they are not getting runs ashore but they are parked up close to Atata Island, one of the small resort islands devastated by the tsunami. I have heard or read that the inhabitants of Atata were evacuated so it;s possible bods ex the Adelaide are cleaning up on the island. Chain saws and water blasters are very much sought after items at the moment. I have just returned from the fish market with a 3 kg slab of tuna so the deep sea fishing vessels are out again. The Health Department advise inshore fishing is not advisable because of the "ash". Adelaide me reminded me of two incidents from 60 years ago. First, the Andes on a West Indies cruise. The adverts said the ship had recently had aircon installed. Well, they forgot to put it in the crew accomodation. The only nights I slept in my bunk were the channel nights, rest of the time was on deck. Second was on the BP Supervisor when we ran aground on the Goodwin Sands. Had to spend several hours cleaning out the cooling water intake(s) with our bare hands, huge number of condoms, no vinyl gloves in those days.

[Varley]

I am pleased you seems to be in good spirits despite the disaster K (but I must say I don't think vinyl gloves would be as effective).

[YM-Mundrabilla]

Originally Posted by Engine Serang

ABC report that two Chinese ships are approaching Tonga, the Wuzhishan an amphibious transport dock and Chaganhu afast combat support ship. Both are carrying aid cargo. Are they being good neighbours? Meanwhile the Adelaide remains in trouble and a RAN Admiral stated that it was believed volcanic dust and debris in the water caused the overheating.
I feel for the MEO and his merry men probably working 6 on, 6 off and little comfort topside to cool down but they shouldn't have joined...................,

Bet the Chinese don't break down and get stuck there for weeks.

Tow the lemon back to the RNSWN base in Sydney but in the meantime make sure that HMAS Canberra does not leave Lake Burley Griffin.

[Engine Serang]

YM you've been disenchanted with that pair of LHD's for quite a long time, are they continually troublesome or is the Tonga incident fairly unusual?

[YM-Mundrabilla]

I can only go on media and internet reports on these two vessels which I do not find encouraging. There have been various internet entries on the subject.

I usually operate on the basis that when a politian officially confirms or denies something it is not to be believed (100% at least). Sir Humphrey Appleby taught me this.

There was also a very disparaging interview on TV with an independent politician ex-submariner when Adelaide's current problems emerged which I found telling.

I am probably a prejudiced railwayman dinosaur with mechanical things where I prefer big, heavy, robust machinery which obviously puts me at odds with modern gas turbine powered things.

How are these things and the Collins U-boats et al going to fight off the Chinese when they come?

[kauvaka]

Two more Australian vessels arrived yesterday with relief supplies, HMAS Canberra and HMAS Supply. Canberra came alongside to discharge cargo and was welcomed at the wharf by the PM, Austalian High Commissioner and other dignitaries non of whom embarked. Ship's crew did not land. I don't know if Canberra is relieving Adelaide but the latter will probably be happy to get underway.

[Malcolm G]

HMAS Supply - primarily a fleet oiler I believe.

Might be wrong but I would guess that she is there to support the other ships - Maybe brought some spare parts....

[kauvaka]

HMAS Canberra still alongside this morning, heavy rain so low viz, couldn't see what was offshore. Local media today reported Australian soldiers and sailors ex Adelaide plus Fiji soldiers had spent the past week cleaning up the two harbour islands of Atata and Pangaimotu.

[kauvaka]

Nuku'alofa's wharves and harbour have no warships currently present. Local media report that HMAS Canberra is standing off the island of Nomuka in the Ha'apai Group, no mention of HMAS Adelaide. The report says the PM and the Austalian High Commissioner were taken by helicopter to Nomuka for a short visit. Pics show the eruption and tsunami caused major damage to the island.

[kauvaka]

HMAS Canberra or a vessel designated 102 is alongside Vuna Wharf this morning (Wednesday here), A helicopter is on the foredeck but there does not seem to be much activity.

[Malcolm G]

HMAS Canberra - pennant number L02
Crew are maybe out of sight doing lateral flow tests before they are allowed out…

[Engine Serang]

No one is going ashore until the Black Gang fixes the "Problems".
Are RAN Boards or Courts of Inquiry public affairs and are the findings published?

[YM-Mundrabilla]

Originally Posted by Engine Serang

No one is going ashore until the Black Gang fixes the "Problems".
Are RAN Boards or Courts of Inquiry public affairs and are the findings published?

I doubt it. Nothing is ever published if it will embarrass the government or the instrumentality. 'Security', you know. We do not want to confirm what the Chinese already know.

800 people died in nursing homes here in Victoria because the government used rent-a-crowd security when Covid first arrived. There was an ineffectual Royal Commission that found out nothing because no-one from the government or the bureaucracy 'could remember' anything.

Any reports on rail incidents (rail is my field) take years, rarely blame anyone and usually conclude that there was some 'legal technicality' in instructions or training. They are so bland these days that 'he' or 'she' is banned and the term 'they' is used to describe a singular person. Probably in case one was a female.

Individual common sense and/or experience never get a mention. I am sure Sir Humphrey still writes these reports.

[Engine Serang]

YM I'll take your answer as a No and a No.

As your old mucker Sir Humphrey once said, ‘The Official Secrets Act is not there to protect secrets, it is there to protect officials!’,

But tell me does your Parliament not have a version of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition to raise such matters

[kauvaka]

HMS Spey, home port Pompey and which was here dropping off stores and water within days of the eruption/tsunami is here again this time in its role patrolling Tonga's Exclusive Economic Zone searching for illegal fishers. Spey is a long way from home, does anyone know are there crew changes whilst she's out this way, if so how frequent? Are the RN no longer "out after breakfast, home before tea"?

[Malcolm G]

The RN official reason is that she is visiting British territories including Pitcairn island
https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-an...tcairn-islands

While in the area they discovered that Henderson island is marked incorrectly on charts.
https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-an...nderson-island

So all is not wasted apparently.

[YM-Mundrabilla]

The RN description of Henderson Island being 'about the size of Oxford' is interesting when compared with their precision in discovering that it was wrongly located on charts.

I assume that they mean 'area' rather than 'size' of Oxford (not that either means anything to us Colonials) but in case there are other iggerant people like me out there the area of Oxford is 45.59 km².

Work to move Henderson Island to match its position on the chart will commence in 2028.

[Malcolm G]

It’s just a cunning plan to hide it from any predatory Nation so that they don't ‘adopt’ it.

[Engine Serang]

It must be out of place otherwise Bank Line would have hit it.

[BobClay]

It's them French atom bombs ... I'm tellin yer. (Puts another layer on bacofoil hat.)

[Engine Serang]

Originally Posted by BobClay

It's them French atom bombs ... I'm tellin yer. (Puts another layer on bacofoil hat.)

Very few brains in my head so I'll put the extra layer in my underpants.

[BobClay]

Watch out for the sharp edges ....

[Varley]

I submit that greaseproof paper would be more comfortable as well as being at least as effective.

[YM-Mundrabilla]

Easiest fix might be to 'just put a patch on GPS'.

[Engine Serang]

We do not choose to put patches on things because it is easy but because it’s hard.