My First Underway

I got to do my first underway with Keith. On Friday I got to go out with Keith and spend the day with him. We got to see how they live on the boat for days and sometime months at a time. It was very interesting. When we got there we got briefed on what we were going to be doing for the day. And Keith went over a few things and talked about motion sickness. I didn't think I was going to need anything cause he said it's not that bad. Well they are used to being rocked around and they don't even feel it anymore. Unlike us that have never been on the boat and feel every little movement. Sara and I could feel every time the boat rocked. When they sit on the surface it is like a big bobber in the water is just rocks back and forth. So I ended up having to take something cause I didn't want to be sick. So Keith and Brandon showed us around for a while and we got to see lots of things on the boat and some of the guys told us how things worked like how they made there water and air. Which to me was kinda cool. Then we went up and watched the boat submerge. It was cool to watch they had the periscope up and so we watched the boat go under then all you could see was water. I thought I was going to have a hard time being under the water but it was just like being on top of the water cause when you are on top you don't know it cause you are in a tube. So we headed down to the torpedo room were Brandon works and hung out there for a while. They were going to do angles and dangles for us. Which is when they take the boat and make it go up and down and side to side at sharp angles. The guys wanted us to be in a open spot that we could stand to see this. Which there isn't many open spots on the boat. So we are standing there and they start doing them and I look over at Keith and he looks like he is falling but he's just standing there at an angle. Then Brandon starts doing it. It was cool to see them like that. After that was all over Keith decided to climb in the torpedo tube and show us how long it was. Wow it was very long and dirty. After that we went up to the sonar and listened to the whales. I really enjoyed that I wish I could have seen some of them though. When the boat returned to the surface we got to go up in the coning tower and look out. It was cool to see. The captain said it was the best place on the boat when they were on the surface and I have to agree with him. You get to be up in the fresh air. So I have come to the conclusion that I would never want to be on a Sub. I have a whole new respect for the guys and what they have to do on a daily basis. We walked into the engine room to find our friend John down in a hole that I don't think I could fit into. It was quite interesting to see what they have to do and in such tight quarters.