Sea Tiem - how, what, when?!?!

Does anyone have any tips regarding how to get some pre fleetboard sea time in the next six months? Information is very slow to come to the units, so I was thinking about taking it into my own hands (without stepping on toes).

I've found it quite a task to get some, which is a pain since its the only thing standing in my way for fleetboard and getting me on trained strength, which (surely) they want?!?! safeguard 20% cuts in RNR!)

Any tips much appreciated

 

Nice spelling mistake... doesn't that instill you with confidence in the officer class!?!!?!

 

Must be a Schoolie!

 

Best thing would be discuss it with your JOTO. Apparently one of the JOs at my unit got sea time by E-mailing the XO of a certain ship, but I don't know if that was an official thing or something they did out of their own initiative, nor how well it would go down if other people started doing it.

There should be a training trawl in your unit anyway, with a section specifically for sea time, and stating how many of whatever people they want. For example, there was one up on my unit a month or two ago that wanted a couple of junior officers and junior rates for about ten days of sea time.

 

Officially you are not allowed to organise sea time informally. However, the flip side is that if you do it officially the RNR will not get you any sea time except in any month with a U or a date divisible by three prime numbers, and after you have applied six months in advance, and then they will ask you if you can confirm in the next six hours whether you can leave in two days to fill a slot that has just opened three months ago.

What you need to do therefore is put in an urgent bid for any available sea time with your unit. After four/five weeks or so has passed, during which you chase them repeatedly every few days and are guaranteed not to get anything, phone up a mate on a ship and arrange it informally. Then tell the unit a vacancy has turned up on HMS ABC and would they phone this number and speak to Lt Cdr X who would be happy for you to join for a week or two. They are normally delighted to get you off their backs. Just make sure you get them to call before you join otherwise you won't get paid.

 

According to our Unit, the lack of Pre FB sea time has been noted and URNU sea weekends are being considered(safeguard, gendit!)- So you could try your nearest URNU CO/Cox for a spot:

It won't do for OOD stuff, but there is a bit of SSD and plenty of Nav and OOW/Helm and ropework to be going on with.

Just hope you have a strong stomach because a lot of the poor souls i went on one with couldn't keep anything down.

Could have been all that student partying the night before though!

 

Speak to your JOTO.

URNU have sea time available at selected weekends. See your JOTO for the dates and venues

There is a CPO who organises sea time for JO's and he can be contacted by email. Speak to your JOTO who should have his emails or you can PM me as i should have it as well

sea time should be booked through official channels, but it has not been good. The money has been tight so hard to get JO's away to sea. Weekend sea time should be avail from the sweepers over weekends, see your JOTO for dates

 

Apologies, forgot to mention I got it signed off thru JOTO before going to the URNU

 

Your Unit should have an affiliated FF/DD which you should be able to contact or get your PSI or Staff Officer to arrange something through. A word of caution - we had one turn up in my last ship who was like a little robot. He even packed a smoking jacket. If you have one of these things, leave it behind. He was from Flying Fox and not President unusually

 

I would highly recommend URNU sea time actually. If you contact them several weeks ahead of time and mention your training needs, their training officer for the trip you're on might even co-ordinate with you to stick some training in specifically to get bits of your taskbook signed off. Its good stuff.

However, I would also echo the above, go through JOTO first and foremost and always keep him in the loop about these things.

 

You should have a pm from me matey.