HMNZS Monowai and her seamanship roles

 

A little ditty on the Seamanship details of the RNZN Hydrographic Survey Branch (aka since 1977 as the Droggies).

From 1975 to 1979 three ML’s served in the Survey Navy (as Lachlan decommissioned in 1975). Common regular evolutions were setting up Tripodials (16 foot or 30-foot beacons with very large flag) floating Danbuoy’s (12foot with flag and stave) and Log ‘o’Line (handraulic current meter - measured line and stave/weight. The most boring Survey Evolution)

HMNZS Monowai arrived in RNZN October 1977 and after a trip home from Scotland (where she was refitted) and some leave, she then headed to Bay of Plenty to start her first HI (Hydrographic Instruction).  In that time both ship’s boats – the SMB (Survey Motorboat) Seagull, a 4-cylinder Kitchener gear craft originally borne onboard HMNZS Lachlan, and the 27foot Motor Whaler (Captains Boat) carried out very few evolutions.  So, boat stations were few in the first year or so. This meant very few seamanship evolutions.

At this time, Monowai had Rotork (aka Manaia) a GRP Landing Craft. She was 12 metres long and powered by twin 280 Volvo Penta Inboard/Outboards.  This arrangement allowed for her to carry a short wheelbase Landcruiser and land it onto a beach.  She had other regular duties, gash barge, banyan runs, liberty boat, and survey reconnaissance. 

This photo shows Rotork on stbd aft Focsle, adjacent the funnel is SMB Acheron, with SMB Astrolabe stbd aft.  Taken early 80's.

Boat Deck Port.  SMB Seagull (Fwd) and after her reconstruction from Kitchener to standard - ruined).  Port Aft - Pelorus. Taken around 1987ish.

In 1979 three new survey SMBs were added to Monowai’s repertoire. SMB Acheron, a 7 metre GRP launch powered by a 280 Volvo Penta Inboard/outboard. It replaced the ships whaler with the same hoisting/lowering arrangement.  The two 10 metre aluminium purpose-built SMB’s were fitted to the port and starboard davits (both powered by twin 6 cylinder Perkins Diesels) which had been added during the refit and purpose-built for such a purpose. SMB’s Astrolabe (Stbd) and SMB Pelorus (Port) arrived and put to immediate use and to which they would use for the life of the Mother Ship. (Barring the 1985 loss of Astrolabe and the original Pelorus replacement). Boat lowering and recovery duties were mostly daily.  If you get lowered in calm weather there was no guarantee it was calm when hoisted. 7.2 tonnes of aluminium being hoisted and swaying all over the place was a common hazard.

Why this dit so far?  Undoubtedly the Survey branch uses seamanship skills on a more regular basis than the regular seamen on grey ships. Almost always in Monowai’s 320 days at sea (per year), operational seamanship was carried out.  Below are most of those.

Focsle POS.

(FX Locker man – LSEA) Anchors and Cables, berthing lines, Mooring, Vehicles (Long Wheelbase and Short Wheelbase Landcruiser’s and Moke and 4-Wheeler Farm Bike) Rotork deployment, and Paint Ship and Maintenance. Tow FWD, Refuelling (RAS) Cordage Locker, Paint shop. Crane deployment.

O Stations. 

(CPOAHS IC/LHA BSS Bulk Survey Storeman)  (BSS had a storeroom measuring 15m wide and 12 metre Deep and catered for all seamanship styled survey evolutions.  Included a workbench with a full-sized Vice, 1-ton chained hoist and tracking, Thousands of metres of FSWR, FSR, used berthing lines (used mainly for recreational purposes), Current meters, Time Released Mechanisms, Moresby Beacon etc etc etc) All equipment for O Stations were housed in the BSS except the 30foot Barling's for Moresby Beacon on O4 deck..

Deep O Winch duties, shallow O Winch duties. Mainly Corers and Oceanographic mid water sampling equipment. Focsle - Construct Deep Ocean Boomerang Corer and deploy/recover.  Construct Interocean Current meters and deploy/recover.

Boats Party (Mixture Survey ratings and seamen AB’s).

Maintain all four SMB’s. Maintain Falls.  Maintain O4 Deck and O2 Deck.  Maintain Hangar (with AX Party)  When SMB’s deployed – Astrolabe and Pelorus with a crew of four or five.  All hands stand outboard of SMB holding Lifelines when lowering. In dodgy weather a very dodgy thing. SMB Seagull is a little dodgier.  SMB Acheron (remember the GRP) no one wanted to crew it.  Bounced like a dodgy cork in a lumpy bowl. (I personally wore an uppercut from her Fwd falls when hooking on.  Still have the scar under my chin.  Luckily, I did not get KO ’ed but I am aware of one knocked out and washed overboard.  Mid 80’s she was replaced and a RHIB (and not too soon) a glass reinforced plastic deck and superstructure and a mono-hull rigid inflatable hull arrived. The RHIB is powered by a Yanmar 310hp marine diesel engine driving through a Hamilton HJ274 water jet. She was launched and recovered using a HIAB crane (replacing the davits). Huge asset to Monowai.

Boats Booms – both sides (with AX and FX hands)

AX POS 

Deep Ocean Winches (AX Locker – LSEA) (Dhoby Lines 😊 ) Berthing Lines, Boats Moorings, Tow Aft (also using Flightdeck), Klein Deep Ocean Side Scan Sonar (SSS) (Port AX) and EG&G Shallow SSS stbd aft..

 

Shore Parties.

 

Usually, a team of 10-12 would be placed inshore from Monowai, with 2 SMB’s (usually Astrolabe and Pelorus or others at times like August 1978 SMB Penguin from Tamaki Boatyard and Meola the Philomel Tender were seconded for Mercury Bay and retrofitted with survey gear, complete with Short Wheelbase 4x4)

HIFIX6 Stations.  For almost all offshore surveys, HIFIX6 stations were set up (usually 4 – 6 sites per HI) and manned by two caravans, i.e., two crews.  One LRF, One LMM and either one ABSEA or LHA/AHA each).  HIFIX6 manning is usually deemed a perk.

Tide Pole volunteer.  Usually a day off for young AHA’s.  Also volunteers from Ship’s Company to have a day off too and be useful.

Monowai usually was manned by the following seamen:

Only ever once – Mate of The Upperdeck (MUD) - on this occasion a WOS. 1980/81 replaced by WSC.

CPOSEA – Buffer

POSEA - Focsle PO

LSEA x 2 – AX Killick, Boats Party Killick

ABSEA x 20 - AX, FX, BP, Nav Yeo, Painter, QM's x 5, Gunners for Oerlikons.