ISAR T-3 days

What a wonderful training day! We got so much accomplished and I think everyone had a great time doing it.

We started early 0800h after a hearty bacon and eggs breakfast to Head doen to our base. We took out both vessels (we still have the old 733 hanging here) so were able to get in far more then if we had only had the one.

Shawn and Kellei want and positioned "Oscar" a cruiser suit filled with sand to simulate a PIW (person in the water) and we were "tasked" to go and find him.

We did everything using the radio call signs we expect to be using at ISAR which really helped everyone get into the habit of it (we get very used to calling in using our unit´s callsigns so saying "ISAR TEAM 10" was a bit of a switch.

We ran a good search pattern doing both creeping Line and shore-line before recovering "oscar" and Heading over to where Shawn and Kellei were waiting. It went well and I plan to run three more scenarios today to hone our skills further.

The Cape Caution showed up when we got in and so we started in on the SAR-pump. All the CCG vessels have these SAR-Pumps that come in a 24" dia. 24" tall drum that is airtight so it will float - in the Aux we never use them - but it´s what they will have is using at ISAR so we ran About 10 SAR-pump drills with all the different possible crews doing something as close to what we will be soing at ISAR as possible... the times improved hugely as the day wore on. Shawn and I along with one of the fellows from the Cape Caution tried a run and got the best time - but it was mainly just for fun at that point.

After the SAR-PUMP we broke out the life ring (they had a full 762mm sized one) and did some practise throwing that.

By then everyone was getting tired and hungry - so we departed in a bit of a squadron and after some pizza en-route played at pacing and coming Alongside with the Cape Caution - something I hadn´t had the chance to do at speed since RHIOT and I don´t expect Kellei or Campbell had ever done before - so it was an awsome experience - and we may have got some photos along the way :)

That was our day - I couldn´t have hoped for better. Today Kellei, Sidney, Campbell and I will be running On-Water SAR scenerios in Gibsons including the search planning stage to finish off the weekend - with any left-over time dedicated to anything people want to look at.

It´s getting so close now - we are all getting very excited!

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