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NAVY NEWS Lt Layamon Bakewell receives his DSO from Govenor General the Right Honourable Sir Jerry Mataparae NAVAL OFFICER DECORATED FOR RESCUE EFFORT Lieutenant Layamon Bakewell has recently been invested with the New Zealand Distinguished Service Decoration in this years Queen's Birthday honours, for his actions as the Commanding Officer of the Inshore Patrol Vessel HMNZS Rotoiti during the evacuation of the crew of the grounded container ship MV Rena on October 11, 2011. In the days after Rena ran aground on Astrolabe Reef in the Bay of Plenty, Lt Bakewell played a key role in directing the rescue of the ship's forty crew members in stormy and dangerous weather conditions. Deteriorating weather conditions on the night of October 10, led the Salvage Master onboard Rena to request an evacuation of non-essential personnel. At 0500 October 11, Rotoiti was ordered into the area to conduct the evacuation, arriving at 0630, to find that weather conditions precluded a boat transfer. Lt Bakewell called in a RNZAF Iroquois in an effort to complete the rescue operation. Under his direction 13 of the 38 people on board the ship were evacuated before poor visibility prevented further flying. By then, the heavy swells pounding the Rena threatened its position atop the reef. The ship was listing to starboard, the hull was under immense strain, containers onboard were unstable and oil released from a rupture to one of Rena's main fuel tanks coated the waters surrounding the ship. At 0930, the Salvage Master initiated a mayday call and requested an immediate evacuation of the remaining personnel onboard. By 0950 Lt Bakewell had organised five rigid hull inflatable boats from Rotoiti and HMNZ ships Taupo and Endeavour to assist with the final rescue operation. Over the next hour the boats, whilst battling heavy sea conditions, safely evacuated all remaining personnel from Rena. Lt Bakewell's investiture, by His Excellency the Governor General, Lieutenant General the Right Honourable Sir Jerry Mataparae, took place at Government House in Wellington. After the ceremony, Lt Bakewell said "he was honoured to have received the award", but the rescue "was very much a team effort and its success was a reflection on the ability and courage of his Ship's Company." Lt Bakewell handed over command of Rotoiti in August this year, and will soon move to Wellington to take up a role within Defence Headquarters. KERMADEC ISLANDS EXPEDITION FOR SIR PETER BLAKE TRUST In August HMNZS Canterbury took 30 Young Future Leaders involved with the Sir Peter Blake Trust on a 12 day return trip to the Kermadec Islands, 400nm north of New Zealand. The trip was a joint initiative involving the SPBT, the Ministry 64 Professional Skipper November/December 2012 for the Environment, the Department of Conservation, the Pew Environment Group, Experiencing Marine Reserves, LEARNZ and the RNZN. The Young Leaders aged 14-18 years old from all over New Zealand, were accompanied by media, support staff and a group of scientists and marine biologists. Canterbury was conducting the trip as part of DoC's annual resupply programme to their base at Raoul Island. For the SPBT team the trip aimed to give the Young Leaders an insight into a unique and remote part of New Zealand, a variety of marine scientific research projects, and of course, life at sea onboard a RNZN vessel. Scientific projects included analysis of the Kermadec ecosystem and underwater habitats, and research into the breeding and feeding patterns of the region's dolphins, sharks and humpback whales. Boat and helicopter rides, snorkelling, visits to Raoul Island and participation in fish and marine mammal tagging projects were but a few of the highlights for the Young Leaders. The trip resulted in a successful resupply operation and some significant marine research being completed. It also saw Canterbury successfully respond to a mayday distress call from the 11m yacht Stager, in the Hauraki Gulf the morning before their planned arrival back in Auckland. After initial communications with the yacht Canterbury launched its SH-2G helicopter to locate the Stager on the southern side of Colville Channel. The helicopter found the yacht semi-submerged, with all five personnel still onboard. They winched two of the crew into the helicopter, before a Coastguard vessel recovered the other three personnel moments before the yacht sunk. All five crew members of the yacht were then transferred to Canterbury for medical treatment and passage back to Auckland. This incident added to the 'life at sea' experience gained by the SPBT team from their time onboard Canterbury. For them it was an amazing adventure and experience. For the RNZN the trip was business as usual, but also a privilege to have hosted such a talented and enthusiastic group of young New Zealanders. A small shark is about to be tagged