Commander Melanie Verho is one of a growing number of females in charge at the Royal Australian Navy. Picture: Toby Zerna Source: News Limited
AFTER dodging protective southbound mother whales and their calves and phosphorescent dolphins, glowing green in the hull's night-time bow wave along the NSW north coast, the goal was finally in sight.
"There it is,'' announced an animated officer of the watch Lieutenant Kerensa Benson from Murwillumbah in NSW as she peered through powerful binoculars on the bridge of HMAS Broome. "There is Centrepoint Tower and Sydney.''
A wave of excitement swept the 55-metre Armidale Class Patrol Boat as the city's skyscrapers loomed on the horizon. After a week at sea from Darwin via Cairns and Brisbane, Sydney Harbour was finally in sight and the navy's "minor'' warship and her four vessel Pacific Patrol boat convoy, lined astern like ducklings, set course for Sydney Heads and the International Fleet Review — the biggest gathering of warships in the harbour since World War 2.
Armidale class patrol boat HMAS Broome is leading a small fleet of Pacific navy boats down the east coast of Australia to Sydney for the International Fleet Review. Source: News Limited
Navigation officer Lieutenant Richard Currie from Devonport in Tasmania was busy at the chart table plotting a complicated course for the convoy into the chaos of the harbour on a Sunday afternoon. With hundreds of pleasure craft, Sydney ferries and a massive oil tanker to safely negotiate in company with four boats from Papua New Guinea, Melanesia and Tonga, on their first visit to Sydney, the final leg of the long journey was an interesting but welcome challenge for a crew more accustomed to boarding illegal people smuggling vessels off Christmas Island during frontline boat people patrols than enjoying million dollar views of the Emerald City.
Their initial joy at turning right rather than left out of Darwin Harbour had been slightly tempered by some rough seas, cooler weather and mechanical issues with their Pacific Island comrades, but the Sydney skyline generated smiles all round.
"This is the biggest thing for the navy in years,'' said Petty Officer Julie Fairchild of Adelaide who was at sea for the first time in a year.
The communicator at Patrol Boat Group headquarters in Darwin said a patrol boat crew's life was dominated by operations.
Matthew Edwards, Nicholas Reedy, Lucas Christiansen and Matthew Sciesinski stand on the foc'sle of HMAS Broome as they pass under the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Source: News Limited
"We don't get to do different things very much so this is great.''
By different she meant jobs other than people smuggling patrols under Operation Resolute.
The 14-vessel Armidale Class fleet is the busiest in the Royal Australian Navy. The rotating crews — none are permanently attached to a vessel — work eight weeks on and four off and that usually entails a six-week stretch at sea and in the waters around Christmas Island. The boats are well-equipped and with a reverse osmosis plant capable of making 8000-litres of freshwater a day and a well-stocked galley staffed by top flight cooks such as Leading Seaman Teronga Jones on the Broome, life on board the air conditioned 270-tonne vessels is pretty comfortable.
There is even a small gym in the so-called austere compartment at the stern of the vessel where sailors can exercise and extra hands can be accommodated or gear such as life jackets and food for asylum seekers can be stored.
Lieutenant Scott Jarman is pictured next to a supply of life jackets which are used for asylum seekers when intercepting boats near Christmas Island. Source: News Limited
People smuggling patrols can be broken up by a range of diverse jobs, including the recent rescue of a fisherman who was stung by a potentially deadly box jellyfish, but in recent times their main role has been dealing with Indonesian fishing boats and frightened asylum seekers.
Officer-in-command of the crew on board HMAS Broome, known as Attack 5, Commander Melanie Verho, is one of those military officers who inspires loyalty and professionalism from her subordinates. The 14 Armidale boats (10 based in Darwin and four in Cairns) are manned by 21 crews.
Very early in News Corp Australia's two-night stay on the vessel it becomes clear that she is well respected and very popular with her crew that includes five other women.
Married with two children the former Launceston girl graduated from ADFA in 1990 and has spent 23 years in the RAN. Her older sister Commander Lisa Batchelor is the Commanding Officer of HMAS Harman in Canberra. Navy service runs in the family and their father was also a sailor.
Commander Melanie Verho communicates via radio with primary health care provider Leading Seaman Kristian Mitchell who transferred onto HMPNGS Dreger to give assistance to a crew member that was sick. Source: News Limited
Commander Verho is a maritime warfare officer by trade and has served in frigates, patrol boats and landing craft before she was appointed CO of Attack 5 in November 2011. Her next posting will be as executive officer at the navy's nursery at HMAS Cerberus in Victoria, but her career goal has always been to command a patrol boat.
She regards Operation Resolute as an important national task and like all the sailors involved with what is arguably the most difficult job in the navy, she puts her personal feelings to one side during interception operations where her primary focus is always the safety and welfare of her crew.
"It is hard work but we do feel a sense of satisfaction doing such an important job,'' Commander Verho said.
"It is real world, important national tasking.''
Matthew Edwards, Nicholas Reedy, Lucas Christiansen and Matthew Sciesinski stand at attention as they pass the HMAS Sydney 1 memorial on Bradleys Head in Sydney Harbour. Source: News Limited
That frequency of boat arrivals means that her crew does not receive a lot of respite so 11 days in Sydney for the Fleet review was a welcome break from the rigorous routine of boat people patrols.
"My job is to make sure my crew are safe, especially in extreme weather conditions and that they get enough rest so they are sharp and on the ball,'' she said.
"Our training prepares us for the job and keeps us out of difficulties and we are pretty clinical about it.
"The what and how of the job is pretty specific so we just focus on procedures and put our personal feelings to one side and focus on the job at hand.''
Any personal doubts or other reflections about dealing with desperate people, often fleeing conflict and trying to make a new life in Australia, are dealt with in the quiet and safe surroundings of the bridge, the wardroom or the senior and junior sailors mess. There is a strong view that what happens to the people they rescue or intercept after their job is done is not their business. In recent years they have seldom had the time to reflect for too long before they are tasked to another boat.
HMAS Broome (II) leads HMAS Gascoyne (II), HMAS Benalla (II) and other Australian Navy ships during the International Fleet Review. Picture: Getty Source: Getty Images
"We talk amongst ourselves after each boarding and deal with any personal issues and it acts as a circuit breaker, but generally everyone handles it really well,'' Commander Verho said.
"My crew is a tight knit team and is more like my other family. I am very proud of them.''
Her good humoured executive officer Lieutenant Scott Jarman said the crew enjoyed its work on Operation Resolute, but was looking forward to 11 days in Sydney.
"We get great satisfaction from patrolling and border protection, but doing something different like the IFR is always good,'' Lieutenant Jarman said.
"Our job is mostly away from the public eye so it will be good to show the rest of the country that we exist.''
For senior technical officer or "charge'' on board HMAS Broome, Chief Petty Officer Chris Ware from Avenel in Victoria, the Armidale boats are a major leap forward in technology and habitability.
"This boat has great engines, great food and it is very comfortable,'' said the old sea dog.
For leading Seaman Naval Police Coxswain or "Swain'' Kristian Marshall, the trip from darwin to Sydney was largely uneventful until the very last night when he was woken by the skipper to attend to a serious allergic reaction on one of the PNG boats.
Chief Petty Officer Chris Ware in the engine room. Source: News Limited
He had to make a night transfer in the boat's rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) and climb up a wooden ladder onto the bucking Pacific boat to tend to the sick sailor.
"It was my first case of anaphylactic shock,'' LS Marshall said.
"He was blown right up but fortunately we got to him early and he should be okay.''
Transferring between moving boats is standard procedure for patrol boat crews, but for landlocked reporters and photographers it is a challenging ordeal, especially in a lumpy one metre swell at 14 knots.
Soaking first-time passengers is a key task for navy RHIB drivers and leading Seaman Margo "Blondie'' Stanmore from Temora in NSW achieved the job with flying colours as she piloted the powerful 34 knot water jet powered RHIB from its cradle on Broome's starboard side around the four Pacific Boats including two transfers.
Crew members work out on the back of the boat during a quiet part of the trip. Source: News Limited
Probably as tough as any bloke on board the no-nonsense leading Seaman Boatswains Mate and eight-year navy veteran is a straight shooter.
"I pull my weight and do everything that the guys do and I get respect from the boys,'' she said.
That job includes seamanship, the medical emergency team and importantly boarding parties.
"I was raised tough and as a RHIB driver it is my job to get the team on and off safely. My mum's a nurse so I enjoy the medical side and making people safe too.''
Drenching a couple of land locked media types wasn't too bad either.
ARMIDALE CLASS PATROL BOAT
* Built by Austal Ships in WA
* 56-metres long, 270 tonnes
* 21 to 29 person crew
* Top speed 25 knots (46km/hr)
* Range 5600km at 12 knots
* Weapons — 25mm cannon, two .50 cal machine guns
*Main task — Operation Resolute counter people smuggling
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