All Things HMCS Windsor (merged)

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Very nice JJT.

One small correction to the article. Unless things have changed drastically (and I doubt it), no one goes down on a submarine unless they volunteer for it: So it's not a majority but all of the crew that is volunteers.

And diesel gets into more than just your blood: It get's everywhere. On Ojibwa, a friend of mine (British exchange officer) tried the following experiment on a three weeks deployment: On the jetty, he took out a clean submariner sweater (turtle neck thick woven cotton), wrapped it in heavy plastic, then immersed the sweater into a bucket of clean water, sealed the bucket and it was taken to sea for the duration. When they came back, they unwrapped the sweater on the jetty, and Lo and Behold!  It smelled of diesel.  ;D

 

[Lumber]

Very nice JJT.

One small correction to the article. Unless things have changed drastically (and I doubt it), no one goes down on a submarine unless they volunteer for it: So it's not a majority but all of the crew that is volunteers.

Things certainly have changed OGBD, at least for Officers. About the time I was wrapping up my tour as the AWWO (all 9 months of it), the subbies around the fleet who had just passed their boards were being pressed into the submarine service. Basically, if the course for the D-level you wanted was full, they weren't letting you just consolidate for 6 months until the next course started, they sent you off to be a submariner. I can't say for certain, but I think 5 of the 6 Officers on the BSQ that started about the time I left had NOT volunteer to be on that course.

Even more scary, and I can't confirm this as truth, just a rumour, but apparently they were so desperate for Submariner officers that the students on the AWWD and UWWD were told "if you fail, you don't get a second shot at this course, you're going Subs...".

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Well Lumber, that is a sad state of affairs.

However, telling people on D-level to pass or else you're going sub is something that's been around forever - but to my knowledge never carried trough.

To me it would not be a threat ... but a treat  :nod:

 

[Sub_Guy]

I loved my sub time.  I have nothing negative to say about my experiences as a submariner.

I'd probably still be there had there not been the hiatus after the Chicoutimi incident.    A posting ashore just wasn't challenging enough, so I made the jump to the RCAF. 

 

[Lumber]

I loved my sub time.  I have nothing negative to say about my experiences as a submariner.

I'd probably still be there had there not been the hiatus after the Chicoutimi incident.    A posting ashore just wasn't challenging enough, so I made the jump to the RCAF.

And now you hunt the subs...

 

[jollyjacktar]

Very nice JJT.

One small correction to the article. Unless things have changed drastically (and I doubt it), no one goes down on a submarine unless they volunteer for it: So it's not a majority but all of the crew that is volunteers.

And diesel gets into more than just your blood: It get's everywhere. On Ojibwa, a friend of mine (British exchange officer) tried the following experiment on a three weeks deployment: On the jetty, he took out a clean submariner sweater (turtle neck thick woven cotton), wrapped it in heavy plastic, then immersed the sweater into a bucket of clean water, sealed the bucket and it was taken to sea for the duration. When they came back, they unwrapped the sweater on the jetty, and Lo and Behold!  It smelled of diesel.  ;D

When I was having my tour on VIC in April, I was being conducted around by the Fire King, who was more or less sent there because as a Stoker his platforms were gone and he had already done his CPF time.  They wanted to round him out, so off he went.  I also know of ETs that were sent in that direction as well as there was a need and a poor response for volunteers.  But yes, most of the gang are volunteers.

Back when I was a meathead, I was asked to pick up a young OD off one of the O Boats who had been flown into Shearwater by SeaKing for a family emergency and needed transport.  They had only been out for 4-5 days, but my unholy god, the stench coming off him.  I had all the windows rolled down and it still made me gag.  Sweat, diesel, food and some other unmentionable smells were appalling.  I apologized for gagging but he said he understood. 

Later as a Tanker HT I was used to being all diesel smelling as I was the fuel custodian and was playing in it all week long.  Diesel's not too bad and you get used to it, but the rest they put up with.  No, no, no...

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

I protest ... Submariners are not smelly ... well, at least not to one another after a couple of hours  [.

First hour back home routine: A long shower. First wash: soft dishwasher soap (you know, the one you manicured your fingers in  :nod followed by a long soaping with Irish Spring or Zest! Then triple dose of Head & Shoulders.  After that, my wife would agree to talk to me, but I still had to do my own laundry.  ;D

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Did she set up  a tent, wading pool, sprinkler on the lawn and make you go through a decontamination routine?

We had a Chief on the R class who served on the subs both the O boats and predecessors. He lived on hotdogs and buttermilk and never ate in the mess, nice guy, odd duck.

 

[Nuggs]

Most are still volunteers, there has been some volunteers recently, MARS and Tech stokers

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

 

[mariomike]

I protest ... Submariners are not smelly ... well, at least not to one another after a couple of hours  [.

First hour back home routine: A long shower. First wash: soft dishwasher soap (you know, the one you manicured your fingers in  :nod followed by a long soaping with Irish Spring or Zest! Then triple dose of Head & Shoulders.  After that, my wife would agree to talk to me, but I still had to do my own laundry.  ;D

I read that U-Boat crews wore black underwear. 
https://www.google.ca/search?q=black+underwear+u-boats&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-CA:IE-Address&ie=&oe=&rlz=1I7GGHP_en-GBCA592&gfe_rd=cr&ei=0LZQV9S8OeyM8Qe914nIDQ&gws_rd=ssl#q=%22black+underwear%22+u-boats

Time to re-wind Das Boot!

 

[Cloud Cover]

I guess it is important to distinguish between vapours from unburned diesel oil and the composition of burned diesel and diesel exhaust. Both have some health consequences under prolonged exposure. I am curious if occasional blood testing is performed on submariners for various hydrocarbon toxins, and I am thinking of submariners specifically and not other operators of diesel equipment since submariners are exposed to vapours in a pressurized "tube" for prolonged periods of time?

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

I have never heard of submariners being screened for exposure to diesel oil or fumes; exposure to radiation if you are on a nuke boat, sure, but for diesel? Never.

 

[jollyjacktar]

I read that U-Boat crews wore black underwear. 
https://www.google.ca/search?q=black+underwear+u-boats&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-CA:IE-Address&ie=&oe=&rlz=1I7GGHP_en-GBCA592&gfe_rd=cr&ei=0LZQV9S8OeyM8Qe914nIDQ&gws_rd=ssl#q=%22black+underwear%22+u-boats

Time to re-wind Das Boot!

I understand that submariners only wear black underwear when it's lacy.

 

[Cloud Cover]

I have never heard of submariners being screened for exposure to diesel oil or fumes; exposure to radiation if you are on a nuke boat, sure, but for diesel? Never.

Me either, I was just raising the question. I do know there are very good air filtration systems on board. 

 

[dimsum]

I understand that submariners only wear black underwear when it's lacy.

:boke:

 

[The Bread Guy]

And back she comes ...

For the second time in four months, HMCS Windsor is heading back to Halifax so crews can find out what went wrong with the sub.

The latest issue arose on Friday when the supercharger on one of its two generators broke — possibly delaying the submarine's participation in a NATO exercise in Norway this month.

Early Friday morning the sub picked up and dropped off personnel in St. John's, said Capt. Jamie Clarke, commander of Canada's submarine fleet.

The crew started the sub's diesel generators, but one of them shut off without warning. They tried again and the problem persisted ...

 

[Lumber]

At this point I can't tell if we really did get a shit deal on these subs, or if we are just really bad at submarine maintenance...

 

[jollyjacktar]

After my time at FMF, I am of the opinion that we got a bum deal.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Or neither of these things.

Superchargers crap out. It happens, even with brand new ones some times.

I remember a NATO ex where the steamers had to replace four turbo's between the three of them. Two of them were brand new.

 

[Underway]

At this point I can't tell if we really did get a crap deal on these subs, or if we are just really bad at submarine maintenance...

More likely every little niggling thing that goes wrong with the subs gets reported as it feeds the narrative.  Don't see much about the consistent problems that other platforms are known for.  If a sub dives the press are likely to report it as sinking at this point.  Hence the new media blitz to save the sub force.