Chereads / Vrika: The War For Survival / Chapter 27 - Return began

Chapter 27 - Return began

(Dr. Gyan Singh's Point of View.)

After this session we were made to do all the steps, for our practical training for the next 2 days. Then we were ready to return to India. Then our trainer taught us how to drive a motor boat. He looked very dangerous after all he was a crawler (The Crawler is a type of Necromorph that appears in Dead Space 2 and 3. These creatures are reanimated infants that have been turned into suicide bombers, much like the Exploder.

Infants infected with the Necromorph contagion develop swollen torsos as their internal organs are liquefied and converted into a highly volatile explosive pus. The torso is so morbidly swollen that the host cannot crawl on its front, and so its shoulders are shifted so that it can crawl with its back to the ground, hence why a Crawler's head always appears to be upside down. The host infant's legs are also fused together into a tail-like appendage, making it move much like a caterpillar.

Numerous human babies were killed and turned into Crawlers during the Necromorph infestation of The Sprawl and Isaac Clarke would encounter alien Crawlers years later on Tau Volantis. The alien Crawlers differ little from the human ones, the only real difference being appearance and the sounds they make.

Being made from babies, Crawlers are incapable of moving with any significant level of speed, but they are relentless in their approach and they always appear in large groups. They are capable of crawling over walls and ceilings and will not be deterred by any obstacles or threats. When they approach an intended victim, their swollen torsos will rupture and detonate, killing themselves and their targets. Luckily, Crawlers are slow and very weak; a single shot from any weapon is enough to kill one, or several if they are packed closely together when one detonates. Crawlers can also be killed without detonating them by shooting off the head or limbs.)

The crawler told us about how to drive a boat.

Step 1 This boat is powered by gasoline and has an engine compartment, run the "blower" (an exhaust fan).

Step 2 The boat has a push-button. Press it to start the engine.

Step 3 The boat also has a "kill switch" (also known as an engine safety cut-off, which automatically turns the engine off if you leave the helm for any reason), clip the lanyard on a belt loop of life jacket ring.

Step 4 Make sure all your gear is aboard and everyone in the boat are prepared to disembark.

Step 5 Remove all the lines securing the boat to the dock.

Step 6 Engage forward or reverse if you need to back out of a slip by pushing the throttle handle forward or pulling it back gently until you feel it shift into gear.

Step 7 When the boat begins moving, spin the wheel just as you would turn the steering wheel in a car to determine direction of travel.

Step 8 Advance the throttle as appropriate to reach the desired speed.

Step 9 Adjust running attitude, the boat as appropriate for the conditions.

Step 10 When you want to slow down, gently pull the throttle back towards the neutral position.

Then he explained some important points,

Firstly he told them about Engine Safety Cut-Off or "Kill Switch"

This is a small red knob found next to the ignition on most small or open boats. In the closed position, the switch won't allow the engine to start. A small clip fitted to slide under the knob pulls it back, into the open position. This clip is attached to a lanyard, which has a tether clip on the other end. You should always clip this onto a loop on your lifejacket or a belt loop, prior to operating your boat. Then, if for any reason you move away from the helm, the lanyard yanks the clip out from under the knob and the engine immediately.

Then he told them about the Throttle.

Another safety feature that can prevent a boat engine from starting is the throttle, which must be in the neutral position. If the boat battery is turned on and fully charged, you turn the key, and the engine doesn't start, it's often because the kill switch is engaged or the throttle isn't in neutral.

Then he explained them about maintaining a proper lookout.

In boating terms this is referred to as "maintaining a proper lookout," and it means that as the Helmsman of a boat, you have to always be watching your surroundings and recognize when there's a risk of collision, running aground, hitting a big wave, or any other factor that could require a response at the helm.

Then he told them to calculate, when and how much they have to turn the steering wheel.

He told that, one need to always remember that there are other factors influencing a boat's direction of travel, like wind, waves, and current. As a result, boats may handle differently in different conditions and a turn of the wheel may not always change the boat's direction exactly as planned.

Then he explained one of the most challenging task Slowing a Boat.

Remmeber these points while dlowing the boat.

1) Always calculate how much stopping distance is needed to come to a complete stop in a safe fashion when running at different speeds.

2) Boats don't have seatbelts and are subject to a lot more motion than land vehicles. As a result, sudden or abrupt changes in speed or direction can throw people off balance or even cause them to fall overboard. So, always be careful and try to avoid quick maneuvers.

3) Always be conscious of how you adjust speed or turn. In cases of quick maneuvers, try to shout out a warning to everyone on the boat so they know to hold on.

Main steps to slow a boat are

Step 1 First pulling the throttle back to neutral.

Step 2 Pausing for a moment.

Step 3 Then shifting into reverse and applying some power.

At last, he told them How to Trim a Boat.

a) How you trim it determines how high the low rises in relation to the stern, and how level the boat does or does not run.

b) Trim is different on every boat, so trial and error is the best way to learn how your own boat responds to changes in drive angle and / or using tabs.

c) Also keep in mind that on smaller boats, shifts in weight distribution such as a passenger moving from one area of the boat to another can cause changes in trim.

Now we were ready to go and it was time to start the countdown.

On the order of Medium Leader the countdown began.

TO BE CONTINUED