Refueling at Sea: The Most Dangerous Maneuver the Navy Performs
I recently invited an old buddy of mine, ex-navy, to dinner. I call him "Squid" and he's
as old and crusty a salt as you will ever find, but a delightful guy. Conversations with Squid tend to gravitate toward some perilous Navy experience of his and that night it
was how dangerous refueling US Navy ships at sea are.
Squid should know. He steered his ship during refueling. When two ships moving at 15 knots run 30 yards parallel to one another, there is zero tolerance for error. Add the
hydrodynamic vacuum force phenomenon created by two ships that close and the potential for disaster is enormous. Veer off one degree during refueling and your ship gets sucked in a vacuum toward the other. Veer off two degrees and you have
irreversibly placed both ships on an imminent collision course.
Refueling at Sea Components
Guide Ship - The responsibility of the guide ship (Replenishment Oiler) is to select a refueling course depending on sea state conditions, then, establish a steady course and
speed (12-14 knots).
Refueling "Approach" Ship - The goal of the approach ship is to come alongside the
guide and align and maintain the sending/receiving stations at a lateral separation of about 160 feet.
Squid said, "Once our ship went alongside, a gunners mate from the guide shoots a
"bolo" line over to us. It is imperative that our boatswain's mates grab and secure the bolo before it slips overboard. It is a huge embarrassment to our captain if the guide ship
has to re-shoot a second bolo."
The phone and distance line come over next followed by the fuel nozzle. "The most
delicate part of the refueling begins when 100,000 gallons of fuel start pumping aboard our ship.
Squid said that when the refueling is going down, the OD (Officer of the Deck) and the
helmsman rule the bridge. “I take great pride in promptly executing the OD's commands. If the OD says, "Come right to 184 degrees." I get there fast. I say, 'Steady on course,
sir.' If I stay there, I get, 'Very well' If I veer off one degree to 183 or 185, the ship begins sucking into the vacuum force of the waters between the ships. If I veer off two
degrees, I have irreversibly placed both ships on an imminent collision course.
Refueling a ship at sea is the most dangerous maneuver the navy performs. The way Squid
tells it...the difference between life and death can be measured in a matter of degrees.
Click here to view a US Navy ship refueling at sea:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZ6JOLTynrg