Sea Time in the RNR

What are your experiences of getting sea time while in the RNR? - particularly in branches other than GSSR.
I am MTO which is not primarily a sea-going branch but I am hoping to get some seatime at some point. The Torpoint Ferry is all I have had so far. :lol:
So how long did it take before you got any seatime and how did you arrange it?
I've heard stories of people taking matters into their own hands and contacting ships directly to arrange something but surely there is a better way.

Though my branch training does not require having been aboard ship I would hope that common sense would prevail in that it would be realised that it is ridiculous to spend years in a naval service but never go to sea, especially if you start climbing the ranks.

Also please include what RNR branch you are to give everyone a good idea about what opportunities there are in each branch. :smile:

 

Very easy, just managed to attach myself to a regular crew and got more weekends and deployments than I could shake a stick at...... of course this was 20 years ago when the RNR had the MSFs of 10MCM!

:smile:

On a more serious note, talk to your PS, all of them - in my experience since the demise of 10MCM, they've been invaluable in arranging sea-time on - personally, I wouldn't contact a ship directly, but I'd be quite happy to use contacts on board a ship that PS may have.

 

AWNIS regularly have sea billets during exercises, and the AWNIS SO2 is willing to take requests and work them in where they don't conflict with the greater training plan.

 

Actually, I know this is slightly off-topic, but what do the AWNIS actually do onboard ship? Would they be working in their cabin on their laptop? Just seems terribly not neccessarily to actually be at sea especially if AWNIS aren't actually seamanly-trained.

I expect I'm quite wrong on this matter, which is why I raised the point. What do AWNIS do onboard ship?

 

Unfortunately i feel that the RNR would look at it a different way. Just because you are a part time sailor and want to go to sea the very fact that, and you said it yourself, your branch does not require sea training would lead them to look at the reasons for sending you to sea. What would you do on board ship?

I personally don't agree with that but i'm trying to look at it from their point of view. I would love to go on the RIB course but since the command see no reason for me to undertake this course i have more chance of platting fog.

I have always made a special effort to get on well with the PSI's at our unit at (so far) i have managed to get the courses i wanted and the sea time i wanted. I know people who are not so friendly and do not put themselves forward. They are the people who are now trying to earn their bounty by recruiting for a week cos they habent got their arses into gear to get the right courses and get to trained strength.

It wouldnt hurt if you had a contact on board a ship to put the feelers out for oportunities and then make them known to your PSI's. That way they cannot say that there aren't any ships available.

Good Luck!

 

Dunkers, to follow on from these points:

Can I suggest that you turn your skillset round, it's not so much that MTO doesn't have an afloat role, although I'm sure when I served with COMUKTG afloat that we had an RNR NCAGS presence, but that you have broader skills that you could bring to an opportunity afloat? I say that from the position of not really being fully up to speed with the MTO employment, so there might not be any

I'm sure there are things that you could bring, possibly in the EW picture management field.

the other approach you could use is enthusiasm to experience things outside your core branch, from a mercenary perspective that does mark you out as advancement material

 

Cheers guys.

trehorn2, you are quite right. The higher echelons of the RNR might see "no requirement" in me taking a sea billet for some duration of time since there might be no operational benefit in me doing so (i.e. the same reasons why you were refused a course). I understand this reasoning, but I feel that there is something a bit odd with a supposed reserve sailor not having served aboard ship. Presently, if I were to step aboard a pusser's grey as a member of her ship's company I would have no idea at all about what I was doing - how life at sea works, essentially. There would be something wrong, I think, if I were promoted to killick in the RNR without any sort of "sea sense" whatsoever. The MTO branch is an office job, not a seagoing one - I fully accept that and knew that when I entered the branch - but I'm sure you can see where I am coming from. A couple of weeks at sea onboard any warship to just get an idea of what it's like to serve aboard one (I realise how horribly selfish this sounds :neutral: ) would be, I think, very beneficial for anyone who aspires to serve in the Navy in a reserve capacity.

A service which is never-at-sea-but-still-serves-the-RN? Where have we heard THAT one before?

Karma - thanks for that comment I see what you are saying - maybe I could use my "enthusiasm" to learn a skill that might be useful afloat, oh fcuk me that sounds like something you might read on a (pleasant) RORRS so I'm going to leave it there! :lol:

 

Essentially, the same job they do everywhere else. The efficient collection and promulgation of nav safety information and a number of other aspects I won't go into for OPSEC reasons, and advising other trades on their specialist area. Obvious relevance when embarked with mine warfare vessels, for example.

Being seaman trained enables a crew to sail the vessel, but don't forget that the point of the vessel is not to simply steam from A to B.

 

Like i said shipmate (or should that be shoremate?) I dont agree with it but i'm just trying to inject a little reality into the thread.

I think everyone should go to sea at least once for a couple of weeks. Believe it or not a actually know people in the RNR who have absolutley no desire to go to sea at all!!! How weird is that?

Again, like i said, good luck with getting it.

 

Exactly, you have to do a few man overboard and fire Ex's on the way!

 

Preferably at lunchtime

 

Try enquiring at your Training Office for weekends away on various Mine Sweepers, there are regular billets for JRs every couple of months i think, and by the sounds of others who have been you dont necessarily need a specific specialisation to go aboard and experience it. BSSC and some seamanship skills would be more useful to you to take part in various serials that it might undertake however.

 

If there is not requirement for RNR to go to sea why are they still recuiting into that role? The RN web site currently says in relation to GSS(R):

"A ratings-only sub-specialisation, the GSSR are the Seaman of the Royal Naval Reserve. The primary role is that of Ships Protection Teams (SPT). Many GSSR's were deployed for service on OP Telic, maintaining the security of military chartered commercial merchant vessels (CCS). On merchant vessels naval seamanship evolutions were undertaken. Numerous other Naval functional employers are also considering their options for use of these most valuable and versatile men and women who have proved their utility in live operations. All of those prospective joiners who have a skill or interest in ships, weapons, boats and the sea will find this a stimulating option."

By saying we are Seamen, have been involved in naval seamanship evolutions and it is suitable for people interested in ships boats and the sea. It is reasonable for people recruited off the back of this advertising to get at least some sea time.

 

i think dunkers is in the wrong branch if he wants "seatime"
if he wants to go to sea, GSSR is his best bet. he may well be manning a weapon rather than driving the ship- but - beggars cannot be choosers.
as for working from small boats etc, check latest trawl. Killicks and ABs required Pac 2 tickets. 8O

 

I accept this is the case but would it not be a bit odd to start seeing killicks or even senior rates in the RNR who had no experience of life onboard ship at all. Is that the future 8O

 

I cannot concur as I am GSS(R) and am seeing no sea time and hence my earlier post. The RN need to reassess its approach and start practicing what it preaches.

 

Having seen the latest program for availablility of sea time i can whole heartedly tell you that it is completely FUBAR!

Our "REGIONAL" training officer has the brass neck to send out an email with available dates for sea time and at the same time adds in a statement at the bottom that "HMS ******* gets first shout"!

How can this be right? The training is allocated to regions, not units, yet he see's fit to reserve the best deployments for his own unit.

Not only that but half of the dates he's offered out have already been comandeered by the other two regions.

 

Sooty,

Yes, Sea time deployements are allocated to regions and these are deployements not training. However as far as I understand, they are on a rotational basis, each region has a designated lead unit and any other unit within that region are allowed to fill any gaps that have not been filled by the lead unit.
Without compromising opsec, I myself am filling one of those gaps in the near future and as far as I can see based on my current situation and previous deployements, the system seems to be working quite well.

 

Why so odd we have plenty have AB's who are far from Able!!...why worry about it.....I personally know of someone who was promoted to killick in the GSSR branch and had never stepped foot on a pussers grey!!...If command see fit to recommend you for promotion then take it....!!

and as far as in the future..I have no doubt we will see far more leading/senior rates with no real experience of life onboad...until the RNR get back to promoting people on the basis of experience as well as ticks and signatures in tasks books....this is the future we will face!

 

First off there is loads of sea time (mainly weekends) on MCMV or River Class vessels for those of the GSSR perversion. If there are spaces on these weekends then I'm sure the organisers would rather have a non sea going branch on than an empty billet. The boys from Leeds certainly make good use of these weekends.

It's not just JR's who are lacking sea time. Recent unit exercises have shown a shocking lack of knowldege amongst the wardroom to. Comments such as "tell me what I have to do as I/C of the FRPP" or "why is that not the same as I/C of the Control Point"!

People wonder why the RNR is treatd as a bit of a joke by the regulars some times?