On February 5th, Fraser Cadets had the opportunity to tour the Canadian Coast Guard Hovercraft Base, Sea Island. We had the chance to ask lots questions, have a tour of their base, try on some dive gear and take a ride on the hovercraft.
MS Steede’s favorite part of the tour was of course going on the hovercraft. He admits that it would have been longer if the bow thruster nozzles didn’t malfunction although the silver lining was that we got to watch the crew turn them manually to steer back to the ramp.
One of the many facts that the other Fraser Raiders who attended this tour learned was that the hovercraft can go places where most ground ambulances or even air ambulances simply can’t go. Places such as beaches, swamps, estuaries and dunes. The two hovercrafts can also conduct fire-fighting operations, rescue diving missions, law-enforcement transportation and maintenance to aids navigation.
The coast guard crew spoke about the many different types of rescue missions they have been involved in. It soon became clear that this team of highly trained rescue technicians is very important to the safety of mariners on this coast, a fact that MS Steede found very inspiring.
Some of the Fraser cadets had the exciting opportunity to act as copilot or as the navigator during the ride on the hovercraft. The one thing MS Steede wishes he could have done was drive the hovercraft. Although as he says, “I got to sit in the navigator’s position and I had a really good view of what was happening all around me”.
Overall, the tour of the hover craft base was amazing! Everyone learned so much, and given the chance would love to go again.
~ PO1 A. Gagnon
