Sea Cadets embark on deployment onboard Navy vessels

22 Sea Cadets attended an orca sail from Sept 11-15 in Victoria, B.C. They had the opportunity to check out the HMCS Winnipeg.

Captain Nahall Fallah
News Media & Production Officer, Regional Cadet Support Unit (Pacific)

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Twenty-two Sea Cadets and two Cadet Instructor Cadre Officers got the opportunity of a lifetime to experience life at sea for a week.

Cadets from all over British Columbia immersed themselves in the lifestyle of the Navy while embarked on the Orca-class Raven (PCT 56) and Wolf (PCT 55) vessels Sept. 11-15 during a Sea Cadet Seamanship Deployment (SCSD).

This marked the first sailing experience for the program since 2019.

22 Sea Cadets attended an orca sail from Sept 11-15 in Victoria, B.C. They had the opportunity to check out the HMCS Winnipeg.

One of the three aims of the Cadet program is to stimulate an interest in the Canadian Armed Forces. A SCSD allows cadets to hone their relevant ship-borne skills onboard a naval vessel. Cadets take these at-sea experiences back to their local corps and pass them on to the cadets they lead and train. Additionally, cadets learn self-discipline, increase their confidence, and gain a sense of accomplishment.

22 Sea Cadets attended an orca sail from Sept 11-15 in Victoria, B.C. They had the opportunity to check out the HMCS Winnipeg.

This SCSD consisted of five days at sea, starting at CFB Esquimalt and going around Vancouver Island. The cadets experienced a variety of adventures. They engaged in duty watches; each assigned a designated time during the week. They participated in ‘person overboard’ drills, maneuvering a Zodiac to respond to a simulated person (a dummy named Oscar) in perceived danger of drowning. They also donned firefighting gear to respond to a simulated fire. They boarded HMCS Winnipeg by Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats for a tour and Banyan, a special kind of party particular to the Navy involving a fun occasion held outdoors with good food and fellowship.

Cadet Petty Officer Second Class (C/PO2) Alexander Pelekh from 102 Fraser Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps (RCSCC) described his deployment as ‘a remarkable adventure packed with learning opportunities’.

“I wanted to go on this deployment because I have future aspirations of joining the Navy as a Naval Warfare Officer (NWO), and since NWOs have a mandatory segment of their training done on an Orca-class vessel, I thought it would be a perfect learning experience,” he says.

22 Sea Cadets attended an orca sail from Sept 11-15 in Victoria, B.C. They had the opportunity to check out the HMCS Winnipeg.

C/PO2 Pelekh, 14, embraced every opportunity on the ship, including navigating the uncharted territories of an engine room.

“I would volunteer for everything, from washing dishes with our cooks to helping out in the engine room; it allowed me to get the most from this experience,” C/PO2 Pelekh said. “I would even wash the heads if it would teach me something useful about the ship’s daily operations!”

Among the highlights of his journey was being at the helm of the Orca vessel.

“There really isn’t anything like being at the wheel of a 210-ton, 33-metre-long ship,” C/PO2 Pelekh said. “Feeling the ship respond to my actions, and that I am contributing to a bigger picture like getting from Point A to Point B, is something that I feel proud of.”

The journey allowed C/PO2 Pelekh to explore stunning locations such as Lund, Desolation Sound, Teakerne Arm, and Cassel Lake. It also gave him a glimpse into naval warfare and left him with a treasure trove of memories and knowledge to share with his fellow cadets at RCSCC Fraser.

“I am grateful for this trip, especially because of all the people I talked to, including the Officer-In-Command (OIC) on board to the NWO students and the Executive Officer of a frigate, I learned a lot about the NWO trade,” C/PO2 Pelekh said.

The deployment would not have happened without Lieutenant (Navy) (Lt(N)) Derek Frank from the Patrol Craft Training Unit. Notably, Lt(N) Frank and Lt(N) Joseph Martin, the two Orca OICs, were sea cadets at HMCS Quadra together. Lt(N) Frank was a Bos’n, and Lt(N) Martin was the first sea cadet Marine Engineer ‘ticketed’ on the Orca class in 2008.