Aylwin (FF 1081) - Naval Cruise Book

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UNITAS SHIP ' S SCHEDULE JULY 01 DEPART NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND 02-05 TRANSIT TO ROOSEVELT ROADS, PR 06-10 ROOSEVELT ROADS, PUERTO RICO 11-15 PHASE ZERO: PUERTO RICO OPAREA 16-18 ROOSEVELT ROADS, PUERTO RICO 19-21 PHASE ONE: COLUMBIA 22-26 CARTAGENA, COLUMBIA 27-31 PHASE ONE: COLUMBIA OCTOBER 01-03 INLAND WATERWAY TRANSIT 04 PUNTA ARENAS, CHILE 05-06 TRANSIT TO PHASE SIX 07 GOLFO NUEVO, ARGENTINA 08-14 PHASE SIX: ARGENTINA 15-18 BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA 19-21 MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY 22-24 PHASE SEVEN: URUGUAY 25-29 PHASE EIGHT: BRAZIL 30-31 RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL AUGUST 01 TRANSIT PANAMA CANAL 02-05 RODMAN, PANAMA 06-09 PHASE ONE: COLUMBIA 10-11 MANTA, ECUADOR 12-16 PHASE TWO: ECUADOR 17-19 MANTA, ECUADOR 20-22 PHASE THREE: ECUADOR, PERU 23-25 CALLAO, PERU 26-30 PHASE THREE: PERU 31 CALLAO, PERU NOVEMBER 01-03 RIO DE JANEIOR, BRAZIL 04-08 PHASE EIGHT: BRAZIL 09-11 MACEIO, BRAZIL 12-13 PHASE EIGHT: BRAZIL 14-21 TRANSIT TO PHASE NINE 22-25 PUERTO LA CRUZ, VENEZUELA 26-30 PHASE NINE: VENEZUELA SEPTEMBER 01-02 CALLAO, PERU 03-06 TRANSIT TO PHASE FIVE 07-10 COQUIMBO, CHILE 11-13 PHASE FIVE: CHILE 14-19 VALPARAISO, CHILE 20-21 PHASE FIVE: CHILE 22-27 TALCAHUANO, CHILE 28 PHASE FIVE: CHILE 29 ACHAO ISLAND, CHILE 30 INLAND WATERWAY TRANSIT DECEMBER 01 PHASE NINE: VENEZUELA 02-06 LA GUAIRA, VENEZUELA 07-08 ROOSEVELT ROADS, PR 09-12 TRANSIT TO NEWPORT, RI 13 NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND 107

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THE UNREP THERE WERE MOONLIT FILLED SKIES, THE SEAS GENTLE ROAR ON A CRISP BREEZY NIGHT, THE TIME ZERO FOUR. WE WERE JUST A STONE ' S THROW FROM THE CHILEAN SHORE, IN THE LOVELY PACIFIC, WHO COULD ASK FOR MORE. THE SOUND WAS SO SHRILL, IT WOULD MAKE A MAN PALE, IN THE BLACK OF THE NIGHT, TWAS THE IMC ' S WAIL. AND EVERYONE KNEW THAT THEY MUST NOT FAIL WHEN THEY PASSED NOW STATION THE UNREP DETAIL. WE ALL HAD OUR JOBS AND WE KNEW WHAT TO DO. TO GET PRECIOUS FUEL, WE WOULD SEE THIS THROUGH. SO THEY HANDED OUT CHEM-LITES TO ME AND TO YOU WHICH BATHED ALL THE CREW IN A EERIE GREEN HUE. THEN TO OUR PORT SIDE, IN THE LUMINOUS LIGHT CAME THE CHILEAN OILER, IT WAS QUIE A SIGHT BUT IT SOON BECAME CLEAR, SOMETHING WASN ' T QUITE RIGHT, THERE WERE GEYSERS OF STEAM SHOOTING INTO THE NIGHT. WE FINALLY KNEW SOMETHING WAS OUT OF WHACK WHEN HER WINCHES GAVE OUT AND HER LINES BECAME SLACK. EMERGENCY BREAKAWAY , THE IMC CRACKED, SO WE PACKED UP OUR GEAR - WE WERE TAKEN ABACK. WITH THE SHIPS CREW DETERMINED, UNACCUSTOMED TO FAIL. AWAY AT 20 KNOTS THE AYLWIN DID SAIL. THROUGH THE FIERCEST OF SEA AND THE STRONGEST OF GALE IN SEARCH OF AN OILER WHOSE WINCHES WON ' T FAIL. AND WE ARE ALL STILL HERE, ON THE HIGH SEAS WE ROAM WE CALL ON THE RADIO AND THE SHIP TO SHORE PHONE WERE ALL BANDED TOGETHER, AND NOT ONE IS ALONE IN THE SEARCH FOR THE FUEL THAT WILL BRING US ALL HOME. CLINT SPRINGER, BT1 (SW) 113