Week One
Week Two
Week Three
Week Four
Week Five
Week six
Week Seven
Week nine
Voyage Pictures
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Captain’s Journal LE EITHNE – Monday 13th March
Midday Posn (P) Local Time – 32 07S 51 15W
Dist travelled from Cork – 6901 nm (nautical miles)
Dist to Cork – 5500 nm (nautical miles)
Overnight we continued to climb our way north along the Brazilian coast. By 3 am the wind had freshened to a near gale and Lt Olan O’Keefe who had the watch was forced to reduce speed. The ship was pitching moderately and occasionally heavily in a head sea and swell. It is nights like this that you are thankful that you took time to secure your cabin before you turned in. Nevertheless even with the best attention to detail something somewhere will drag you out of your bunk and for me it was my emergency life support apparatus (ELSA) banging of the bulkhead. Kit like this together with your lifejacket and your once only suit must always be near at hand. The ELSA is designed to give you about 8 minutes of air which should be enough to get you out of a smoke filled compartment in the event of fire. Your once only suit is normally on the strap of your lifejacket. It is for all intents and purposes a one piece survival suit designed to go over whatever you are wearing with the aim of reducing the onset of hypothermia should you have the enter the water. While your lifejacket has a whistle and light you will also have a personal cylume, which gives a chemically generated light when cracked – this assists in your location if in the water.
Those of us not on watch continue to have a restless night. I can hear the waves buffeting off the bulkhead of my night cabin and I am three decks above the waterline. At 5 am the pitching gets worse and I hear what sounds like one of the anchors banging off the hull. I ring the bridge and the Officer Of the Watch Lt Damian McCormac has already called the Bosun Petty Officer Paul McCarthy and his team. Damian also briefs me that despite the weather he has encountered a number of unlit fishing vessels. He tells me he has doubled the lookout.
By morning things have improved a little but the waves still break across the bow spraying the bridge. Some spray even finds its way right over the ship to the flight deck where the Statue of Admiral Brown is strapped in an erect position. When we leave Fortalessa we will shift him into the hangar for his trip home to Ireland – but first we will need to take up the marquee decking and we won’t do that until all our commitments have finished. I hope bronze doesn’t rust!
Routine continues as normal. Ships boats are maintained, watch keepers do their duties, planning for the next ports goes on. The e-mail has been very busy today as last minute issues are being ironed out. I sense Rio de Janeiro will be a complex enough Port as it too has tight security controls arising from the International Ship and Port Security Code (ISPSC). I talk to the Ambassador in Brasilia, HE (His Excellency) Martin Greene, and he outlines a number of areas that will need my attention. His First Secretary Caroline Phelan has been a great help in pulling details of the programme together.
Throughout most of the day we pass abeam of Lagoa Dos Patos – the lagoon I spoke about when we last passed through these waters on the 22nd of February. Then we were 100 miles from the lagoon today we are just 20 miles.
As I type Lt Cdr Aedh McGinn gives his daily brief to the ships company over the ship’s broadcast. He assures us that the wind is set to reduce to force 4, which is a relief. Aedh also announces that we will hold an Officers Forum at 1400 tomorrow and that we expect to pick up the pilot for Rio De Janeiro at 1600 on Wednesday 15th March. The Officers Forum is unique to LE Eithne and is a management regime which we introduced spanning the Ships commissioned officers and the specialist senior Non Commissioned Officers of the unit. It means that we can have planning conferences that are one stop shops with all the key specialists in place to ensure that the “do outs” arising from decisions are acted upon immediately the conference finishes. It also gives ownership in the decision making process to many senior experienced NCOs. It is important however that command does not undermine the position of the divisional officers in the process and this is something I am particularly sensitive to. In the forum we have various cross cutting cells established covering such things as ceremonial and protocol, humanitarian services, functions and logistic services, internal/external sporting and other activities, planning/programme co-ordination and so on.
Picking the Pilot up in Rio de Janeiro on the 15th of March means that we will enter the Port a day earlier than originally planned. As I mentioned yesterday Thursday 16 March is going to be a particularly busy day and we must hit the ground running in the morning. Since leaving Montevideo the weather has not been exactly helpful in terms of getting a lot of our internal and external preparations completed accordingly the half day alongside will be of value.
As I look forward to tomorrow and the days beyond I again refer to the Sailing Directions with a particular focus on Rio De Janeiro. The piracy warning could not be more clear – “Several recent incidents of piracy and armed robbery in the area of Rio de Janeiro have been reported by vessels”. My track will continue to bring me closer to the coast over the next 36 hours increasing this slight but nevertheless important risk. I add an additional agenda item to our Officers Forum Agenda and I amend my night orders – more about that tomorrow.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Captain’s Journal LE EITHNE – Tuesday 14th March
Midday Posn (P) Local Time – 27 40S 047 06W
Dist travelled from Cork – 7243 nm (nautical miles)
Dist to Cork – 5158 nm (nautical miles)
On the bridge just before dawn Leading Seaman Rachael Callopy of the Naval Reserve points out a phenomenon to the officer watch Ensign James Harding. It is a spectacular rainbow like sky with a series of coloured bands running through thin clouds of altocumulus and altostratus. The phenomenon is known as Iridescence. The colours are similar to those of the rainbow but with more beautiful, and more pastel shades – those you would see in the non-risky part of a Dulux colour card. Iridescence is often discovered at the edges of clouds as they pass across the sun. The colours arise through a process called diffraction where light bends round water droplets or ice particles, rather than passing through them as in rainbows or halo phenomena. The light recombines to give the various colours. The different colours show where the water droplets are the same size. While Rachel and James enjoy this dawn the rest of us, not on watch, are just stirring, eventually to wake to a beautiful morning with a light warm northerly breeze. We are back in the horse latitudes and we see our first hammerhead sharks for nearly two weeks. Even after three weeks south of the equator it still feels strange to feel the warmth of the northerly breezes and watch the sun move from the north at midday through west and set in the southwest.
The weather is now allowing us get on with a lot of the jobs on deck. Jobs we have had to park over the past few days. Machinery on deck needs to be greased, all the port hole glass and bridge windows need to have the dried in salt removed, one or two rust stains need to be removed and the areas primed and painted where necessary.
Our officer’s forum goes ahead examining each item of our programme in detail. We have committed to helping a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) called Task Brazil, which helps street children in RIO. On the 16th March we will host a party for up to 17 of the children on the ship. Tragically today we have just learned that one of the teenage children due to visit with us has lost her baby. Two others are also unable to attend one who has just had her child and one for whom the visit might be too much because of the stage of her confinement. We agree to try to get presents to them in their shelter called Casa Jimmy. We have one major agenda clash and that centres around our St Patrick day’s parade on the ship and an additional request for additional support from Task Brazil, which needs to be undertaken on either Thursday 16th or Friday 17th. It now seems that with our relatively short time in Rio the best time to do some technical work will be on St Patrick’s day 17th March. From mid morning Thursday our programme is too busy for a bigger work party, with calls of custom, calls of protocol, hosting the lunch, visits by Brazilian Navy and the Economic/Business function for MCS as well as a raft of other minor commitments. We decide to suggest a shift of our St Patrick’s Day parade left to the early morning of 16th March and to invite the local Irish community for light refreshments then. This allows us have all of St Patrick’s day free for Task Brazil with the exception of the time needed to focus on the St Patrick’s day reception onboard at 1930. We will discuss this proposal with Caroline Phelan in our Embassy in Brasilia. We can send our assessment team on Thursday to do a works list and see what materials we require. The team will consist of our engineer Lt Cdr Heery with Chief Petty Officer Fergus Heaton our electrician, Petty Officer Tom Kennedy our Carpenter/Painting professional and Petty Officer Dominic Russell who whiles an Engine Room Artificer is also well capable of undertaking plumbing tasks. It seems that the shelters being used by Task Brazil really need attention in four main areas, electrical, carpentry, plumbing and painting and we have the skills to do the job if we can marry our work assessment with the acquisition of materials. We are very fortunate to have $2000 remaining in the kitty donated to us by the Naval Association. At the time Malachi O’Gallagher Naval Service Retired rang me and made me aware of what the Naval Association planned to give I had no idea of how important the contribution would turn out to be in supporting the work that we were to commit to. So far it has given us the peace of mind that the generator we set to work on Los Laurelos Island up the Parana River will be properly secured. It has paid for two crippled children to travel 100 miles to our cultural day and it has covered the expenses for the bus for the abused children from the shelter in Buenos Aires. In addition to the other jobs in Rio De Janeiro we have also been asked to provide a painting team for a parish building and Task Brazil has asked is there anyway we could help to provide some manual labour at one of their centres. Aedh my Executive Officer and myself are very sensitive to biting off more than we can chew. We agree however that it was always the case that we had committed to doing what we could in each country we visited. So having committed we must now assess the quantum.
On the bridge SLt Patricia Butler is on watch. Traffic is quite heavy and she has just reported a poorly lit contact out to starboard with a closest point of approach (CPA) of 400 metres. I go to the bridge and it turns out to be a fishing vessel. It is silhouetted by a huge moon, which is good and will help reduce the risk of an unfortunate pirate mistakenly targeting our ship. We nevertheless open the CPA to half a mile. Earlier while on watch Ensign Sean Linehan had reported significant pollution, which looked like a peaty/grain type, sludge stretching for miles near to our ship’s track. It was clearly the results of the efforts of some irresponsible merchant vessel cleaning his hold between cargos.
It is now 2030 and as I type I can hear Warrant Officer John Walsh and Senior Chief Petty Officer Robbie Burns calling orders to our honour guard and colours team who are rehearsing for our St Patrick’s day parade in the hangar and on the flight deck. Even though we are nearly six thousand miles from home we will ensure that the standard of our parade will be the best and possibly the first little St Patrick’s Day parade in the world – more tomorrow.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Captain’s Journal LE EITHNE – Wednesday 15th March
Midday Posn (P) Local Time – 22 54S 43 14W
Dist travelled from Cork – 7500 nm (nautical miles)
Dist to Cork – 4800 nm (nautical miles)
Overnight we progress northeast along the Brazilian coast. Inshore traffic is quite busy with some artisan fishing activity, poorly lit of course. We wake to a beautiful morning with light airs. We are about four hours ahead of schedule for our pilot but press on planning to use the time to have a swim and a dive off Rio De Janeiro.
All morning since 0700 preparations are under way for the various functions. We have the Marquee erected by midday. As we approach the coast we notice a large Naval exercise ahead. We are close to a submarine exercise area and it is clear that there is activity underway. We stop short, heave to, and go to swimming stations. As we get our safety boat ready a giant manta ray with a wingspan of several metres glides by near the surface – just as curious at us it seems as we are at him, and then, bored I suppose, he effortlessly dives. We can see his silver grey silhouette as he goes deeper and deeper eventually disappearing at some depth.
As we approach the coast for the first time, other than in the case of Islands we saw on our passage down, we see a most dramatic shore landscape of lush hills and mountains rising from the shoreline. The most spectacular, the sheer sugarloaf, looks like a rugby ball sitting in its kicking tee ready to be converted. We loiter for a time up along the Copacabaña beach, a couple of miles or so from our Pilot pick up point. All day the e-mail has been busy and now my mobile phone starts ringing – it is Philip from Task Brazil confirming timings for our children’s party. We also confirm our time for our assessment meeting, which Lt Cdr Anthony Heery will attend. I am frustrated that I have to pay the bill for these roaming calls! As I said yesterday we need to hit the ground running giving the shopping list that Task Brazil has set out.
As 4pm approaches we close the pilot boat, which is speeding in our direction. The boat closes to our port quarter and we reduce speed to 6 knots with the pilot ladder just one metre above the waterline. The pilot jumps first, then our two Brazilian Liaison Officers. They will help us with our visit, particularly in the areas of protocol calls, liaison with authorities and local knowledge. We continue our passage into the inner harbour. The natural harbour of Rio De Janeiro, some say it is one of the Natural Wonders of the World, is vast and it is safe from the elements. It is not however safe from the vagaries of man because it is here that many ships are targeted by Pirates. Across the harbour spans a long bridge, which the Pilot says is 15 kilometres long. It is flat calm with many ships lying at anchor. As we close towards No 2 berth where the Cruise Liners normally berth we pass the Brazilian Naval aircraft carrier, formerly the French Aircraft Carrier Foch. The Brazilian Naval Fleet is strong.
We round the corner towards our berth and see the Mexican Naval Sail Training vessel B.E.CUAUHTEMOC a beautiful tall ship and regular visitor to Ireland. Her name means “Swooping Eagle”. She is called after the last Aztec Emperor. We exchange ceremonial salutes. Our crew standing to attention and facing to Port as we pipe the still and remaining so until we pipe the carry on. While this is happening I have taken the ship from the pilot and I am planning my manoeuvre. We approach the berth slowly at first but there is a tidal stream running along the wall forcing LE Eithne down on the CUAUHTEMOC. There is no choice but to drive at speed towards the wall on the port engine and put starboard thirty on the wheel. LE Eithne responds magnificently and as we approach our position still closing the wall rapidly we amidships the wheel and go astern 5 on the starboard engine bringing her stern swinging towards the wall – no need for Hurican or Goucho in Rio de Janeiro. Their cousins are nonetheless standing by and as we gently kiss the berth they are released – unfortunately costing the taxpayer a modest sum.
On the wall are Paul Crean and Brian McComish both former Irish Consuls in Rio De Janeiro. Ireland currently does not have a consul in the city with Brian having just finished his term after six years. Paul is directly related to the famous Tom Crean of expeditionary fame. We meet and discuss the programme. They, together with another local Irishman Mr Peter O’Neill have organised the local Irish Community for our St Patrick’s Day’s parade, which must now take place in the morning.
We go ashore to see Rio de Janeiro. Our berth is in an area in which we need to take precautions. We have already briefed the crew well. We must take a taxi or minibus to the more appropriate side of town. As we drive we see people organising their cardboard sleeping quarters for the night. Its still early but maybe it’s a case of getting the best spot or maybe it’s a case of having nothing else to do. I think about the street children we will meet tomorrow – but more about that later.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Captain’s Journal LE EITHNE – Thursday 16th March
Midday Posn (P) Local Time – 22 54S 043 14W (A/S Rio De Janeiro)
Dist travelled from Cork – 7500 nm (nautical miles)
Dist to Cork – 4800 nm (nautical miles)
We awaken to our first full day in Rio De Janeiro with an extremely busy schedule ahead of us. We must first prepare for our Saint Patrick’s Day Parade. Escorts are despatched to the main entrance of the port at 0830 to bring the local Irish community guests that have been invited to the ceremony. Weapons for the honour guard are drawn at the same time – and all around the ship everyone scurries getting him/herself ready. No excused list with the exception of essential duty Personnel. We have to improvise a little because of local restrictions on weapons, which we cannot land on the quay wall. Accordingly the honour guard to render honours to the Flag and National Anthem must remain on the Flight Deck while the escort to the colours must be unarmed. About thirty guests from the local Irish community are embarked some first generation, some second and third generation. The Captain of the Mexican Tall ship also comes onboard together with his aide, as do our two Brazilian liaison officers. Here, we are probably the only Irish Defence Forces Unit south of the equator with our band, our shamrock, our colours, our honour guard and our ships company ready to celebrate St Patrick’s Day.
With the ships company lined up on the quay wall, the parade kicks off. We first bless the shamrock. We are fortunate that we have a priest who carries out the blessing with a beautiful prayer. He has travelled many miles to be with us. Having distributed the shamrock we then order the colours onto the parade to the salute of the honour guard. Then we have the national anthem. With the colours again marched off the parade we then take up poisition for the march past which is completed quickly and our ceremony concludes.
|
|
|
|
Joining our Irish guests we here stories about when they first arrived in Brazil. The temperature is very high and the humidity is higher. We must get rain today before this gets better the experienced Rio guests advise. Already our heavy uniforms are damp with sweat. I discreetly leave the gathering and together with Lt Cdr Anthony Heery (Tony) and a number of technicians (Petty Officer Dominic Russell, Chief Petty Officer Fergus Heaton and Petty Officer Tom Kennedy) we depart for Casa Jimmy to carry out an assessment of the work that they have requested us to carry out. We are taken close to the slum areas of Rio de Janeiro. A ramshackle of concrete and corrugate dwellings built on the sides of hills one looking over the other. Crime is endemic and the areas are very much no-go to normal forces of law and order. Each enclave is controlled by a gang and they regular exchange gunfire from hillside to hillside. Shortly before our arrival there had been a theft from a magazine of military weapons. The army were called out in response and sent into the areas with rioting and turmoil. In recent days they had just recovered the weapons and were still on the hunt for the thieves. Close to this mayhem we eventually find Casa Jimmy a little sanctuary tucked on the side of a steep hill, housing those who but for their temporary good fortune would be street children of Rio. I meet a number - pregnant girls, abandoned kids even babies. One little two year old was found begging on Copancabana beach just a number of days ago – abandoned. Another 14-year-old girl is playing with her two years old daughter and heavily pregnant with her second child. Many of the small children are trying to sleep but with the excitement of our visit there is no hope for the time being. Meanwhile Tony and Dominic are assessing plumbing jobs in the toilets with a number of the toilets not flushing. A sink is leaking and has already destroyed the ceiling downstairs. Tom our carpenter is examining a leaking roof and Fergus is measuring up for new sockets, which need to be run. The house is run by Task Brazil, a United Kingdom based Non Governmental Organisation. It receives volunteers from all over the world. In the past a number of Irish have worked here. I am impressed with the love and efficiency I sense in the house. This is a good operation and the staff is worthy of all that we can do for them during our short stay in Rio De Janeiro. Children are international, they are above politics and accordingly frontiers don’t count when they need help. Our point of contact is Phillipe, a frenchman with Irish ancestry from Brittany. I have some money, which I donate to Tanya who covers legal and financial aspects of the project. The money is part of the donation made to us by the Naval Association and will be used to buy sockets, cable, roofing and plumbing materials. We return to the ship where I just have time to shower and change uniform before I host our official lunch. The chefs do a great job. My guests include representatives from the Mayor’s Office in Rio, Naval Admiral of the region, Captain of the Port and our embassy staff. With lunch finished at 1425 I prepare to receive our next guests the sleeping beauties from Casa Jimmy. I am delighted to meet them again and before long they make themselves at home jumping on the Captain’s chair, calling into the ships intercom, swinging off the guns, in my dayroom, in the operations room and then down to our junior ratings mess for chips and a party. Some older boys also accompany the children I met this morning. They are from the Task Brazil farm outside Rio De Janeiro. I hope that we will be able to get out there on Sunday to help with a few jobs. I discover like before that after a few minutes of getting to know each other language is not a barrier. Just before the children depart we treat them a surprise. We have all their gifts stacked high and one by one they come over and select the gift of their choice. It must be like Christmas for them. The look on their little faces says it all. Lt Patricia Butler (Trish), our Navigator, has augmented the gifts with some that she bought just this morning for the older teenage children. One little heavily pregnant girl is thrilled with the beautiful green handbag that Trish gives to her. For the rest of the short visit she switches it from shoulder to shoulder looking down at its style. Just before she goes Trish gives her a second handbag, similar but pink in colour. She looks behind her thinking Trish means someone else – she can’t believe that it’s for her. Her dark face radiates delight. They are on their way by 5pm and I have time to put a few more lines to my journal before the next event. At 1830 I am at the gangway again waiting for the guests of MCS. MCS is a Galway based company that provides high-end engineering and software solutions to Petrobras the Brazilian Petroleum industry. We have a beautiful cold buffet with Bar B Que Steaks all prepared by our chefs. The calibre of decision maker, from Petrobras who has turned up is impressive. MCS confide to me that the last time they tried to host a similar event in a hotel they only got 2 or 3 takers. Tonight we have about forty and they seem to be enjoying themselves.
By 2300 with the last of the guests gone I check my e-mails. Again I am delighted with the very positive comments you have written about the diary. I am always pleased to receive them at
captain@eithne.amosconnect.com
. I am very tired and I can’t finish the journal for today I go to bed with the plan to finish it in the morning. Good night.
Captain’s Journal LE EITHNE – Friday 17th March St Patrick’s day starts like every other day. While all over the world millions of Irishmen and women are getting ready to celebrate their National Day, on LE Eithne the main focus is on completing the work at Casa Jimmy. Many people would give their right arm to be in a city like Rio De Janeiro for St Patrick’s day. On this St Patrick’s Day however the crew of LE EITHNE has prioritised getting the deficiencies of Casa Jimmy sorted. This home in the past few years has offered a lifeline to over two hundred and fifty street children in Rio De Janeiro. A lifeline which if not available would have seen many of these children end up begging, caught up in prostitution or crime, or even dead on the streets of Rio De Janeiro.
I remain on the ship to meet His Excellency Martin Greene Irish Ambassador to Brazil who has just flown in from Brasilia. We go through the format for the main reception which we will co-host. In the early afternoon I head up to Casa Jimmy where the house is a hive of activity. Conduit has been run for the cabling for new sockets. A section of the ceiling destroyed because of leaking plumbing upstairs has been cut away and replaced and the plumbing has been repaired. Three of the four toilets were not flushing when we visited yesterday, they are all working now. A safety fence for the children has been extended, reinforced and painted. The tiles on a lean to roof have been realigned. The job however requires more radical surgery, as the pitch of the roof is totally inadequate and needs to be increased. We can’t do this now because of the time available so I will send a financial contribution from the monies donated to us by the Naval Association to cover this work. Many of the teenage mothers and pregnant girls are sitting outside the house as our crew work away inside. For a second day on the trot the children have a distraction, which is keeping them from sleeping. It is all for a good cause. With the work coming to a close all the children gather outside with LE Eithne’s crew. There is a real sense of achievement having done so much and each crewmember there feels good. A little boy comes up to me. He is about seven or eight, I don’t know his name, but he pulls at my hand gesturing me to stoop down. I think he wants a photograph, so I hunker down beside him and he whispers in my ear “thank you”. I feel very sad because over the next two days I see dozens of boys and girls of his age and just like him, on the streets, begging, juggling with balls in the traffic, sleeping in cardboard boxes. He is the lucky one. We say our good byes and return to the ship – I am so proud of the crew of LE Eithne and I think that the citizen at home should be too.
“In this deployment so far we have travelled nearly 15000 km and such is the warmth and support that we have got from the people of the countries of South America including Brazil we would gladly travel another fifteen thousand kilometres for such a welcome. We have brought the flag of our country and this piece of sovereign Irish territory to salute this great country and its people and to give the small but important Irish community a focal point on this their national day The fact that our government will send its flagship to the other side of the world is a statement of its interest in your country But that is not all – today and yesterday we have been working with street children of Rio De Janeiro, our sailors giving their time to work with Task Brazil repairing their shelter and also hosting them onboard for a party . We do this because children are international and wherever they have a need, Ireland, Argentina, Uruguay or indeed Brazil we have a duty to help them I hope you enjoy our hospitality, our paintings which you can buy and our culture which you can have for free – and to help you along the way – let me introduce the best little flagship band in the world – “Hercules” - thank you.” With the speeches over the music starts and everyone has a wonderful time. The evening also provides a break for the staff of Task Brazil who we have invited. Many of our guests have travelled great distances to be at the reception. Myles Gourtney who is originally from Leitrim has travelled from Sau Paulo where he is a senior executive with the Hyat Regency Hotel Group. Titus Haggan another Irishman has travelled from the area of Belo Horizonte where he is General Manager of the Brazil office of the Irish Mining Company MinMet. It is after midnight and PO Broderick and his team are still cleaning up just like they were last night after the MCS function. Hopefully tomorrow will be an easier day for the catering staff. For LE Eithne’s Rugby Seven’s team will the story be different when they take on the best that Brazil has to offer - you will have to wait and see.
With the game now level Noel Dunne takes the game by the scruff of the neck and scores a brilliant individual try (which would not be out of place in the six nations match that follows later that afternoon). With one minute left to play the Aedh McGinn makes the game safe by sprinting over the line for our third try. Final score three tries to one. But, our toughest test is yet to come with the element of surprise gone. Rio’s first team looking on now know our form scrutinising our every move in the first match. Back onboard open ship is unworkable, as the Port Authorities will only let visitors into visit the ship that are on a list. Given that there is no way for us on the ship to know who in Rio De Janeiro would like to visit the ship such a list simply does not exist and we must concede that we will only have small numbers onboard.
Tomorrow will be our last day in Rio De Janeiro – but it will not be a day during which to relax – we have come here to deliver as much service as possible and we will do just that before we leave in the early evening – but more about that later!
Transport is at the gangway at 0755 and the crew are loading their tools. It will take about two hours to get to Task Brazil’s other project outside Rio De Janeiro. Over ten members of the crew have volunteered to help with some electrical and outside ground work at another Task Brazil project. Their journey takes them out of the hustle and bustle of Rio de Janeiro to an isolated farm, high in the hills, two hours from its departure point. I rely on Ensign James Harding for the account of their work. The team arrives at 1000 after navigating the precarious and rugged roads, which seemed at times as if they were going to disappear.
Meanwhile back in Rio De Janeiro Petty Officer Dominic Russell and Chief Petty Officer John Hogan proceed to CASA Jimmy to present an additional $400 US to Task Brazil. This brings to a total of $1000 US the amount we have given to the Task Brazil project. We are thinking in particular about the roof job that we did not have time to complete yesterday. The ferocity of showers in Rio can be such that within minutes the computer equipment in the building would be destroyed if the roof were not sorted. John and Dominic also bring some toys and soft drinks for the children. At Casa Jimmy, Vivienne and Laura are waiting to greet our personnel. The toys and soft drinks are presented to the staff and the donation to Vivienne who writes a letter of thanks. John and Dominic then inspect the work that was carried out to insure every thing is in working order. After approximately 2hrs talking to staff and playing with the kids John and Dominic return to LE Eithne. Back on the farm the team is briefed by ‘Phillip’, one of the projects volunteers on how the project is financed. The farm is focussed primarily at taking young adolescent boys off the streets into a safe environment to educate and care for them. The idea of an organic farm as a safe place to educate and care for young adolescents could only become a reality due to funding by Epsom College in England. The project started in 2003 with the purchase of 55 acres of diverse landscape in the hills outside Rio De Janeiro. The first phase of the project was completed last year and five teenagers were taken in to study and work on the farm. The house will eventually house 10 teenage boys and some of the carers. The staff on the project consists of cooks, educators, social workers and carers. Some of who have travelled a long way to work on the project, with volunteers from Britain, France, Poland as well as Brazil. L.E. Eithne’s team today consists of 2 electricians Chief Petty Officer Tom Kelly, and Petty Officer Fiachra Kelleher, Sub Lt’s Kieran Carr and Patricia Butler and Ensigns James Harding and Sean Linehan, 1 communications operative, Able Commop Tracie Wilkes and Lt’s Olan O’Keefe and Damien MacCormack. The electricians spend their day connecting sockets and running cables to allow access to power throughout the house for the first time. Whilst the electricians work the others are engaged in the more physical task of digging up sods of grassy turf, which are to be transported to another ‘Task Brazil’ project to create a new garden. With this done the team start on the main project of the day, to clear an area of rugged land, and create a vegetable patch, which will be worked by the teenagers in their spare time, growing their own organic food. The work is hard, with everything being done by hand using a few hoes and a couple of shovels. The heat is oppressive with temperatures reaching the high 30’s. This is what “hard labour” is meant to be like. With the work complete at around 1500 the teams are treated to real lemonade freshly squeezed from the farms lemons, and a beautiful traditional Brazilian meal. After lunch everyone goes to a nearby waterfall to shower. The scene is idyllic. The waterfall shower is unfortunately to short for back in Rio De Janeiro I am getting LE Eithne ready for our departure to Fortalessa our next port of call.
|
Toolboxes, jigsaws, voltmeters, and a plethora of other bits and pieces are loaded into the transport. By now most of the material required for the jobs should have been delivered to the shelter. The bus fills up and Lt Cdr Anthony Heery (Tony) organises his work parties under each of the principal trades. Petty Officers Dominic Russel, Liam Leahy, Eric Stevens and Artificer Culliton will carry out Engineering and plumbing. Petty Officer Tom Kennedy and Leading Hull Artificer Declan Tagdh will execute carpentry and joinery. Electrical work will be tackled by Chief Petty Officer Fergus Heaton, Electrical Artificers Patrick Reidy and Rory Galvin. Roofing, painting and general repairs will be tackled by Chief Petty Officer John Hogan, Mechanician Amy Healy, Leading Seaman Rachel Calopy, Lieutenant Olan O’Keefe and Mechanical Joe Byrne.
Back on the ship the rest of the crew have already started preparations for our St Patrick’s day reception. We are expecting about one hundred and fifty guests – we end up with over two hundred. Ger Sweeney’s paintings are arranged, the bars are set up and in the galley the chefs are flat out. I think of what I would like to say to our guests. The Ambassador arrives just before 7pm. Everything is in place. Punctuality is not a feature of Brazilian culture – so the Ambassador and I are surprised when guests start arriving 15 minutes early. I can depend on the crew they are ready and line up at the entrance to the marquee to take our guests once they have passed the greeting line. All military officers are piped onboard. They include the British Military Attaché, officers from the Mexican Ship “Cuauhtemoc” as well as Brazilian Naval Officers. One hour later we are still at the gangway greeting guests – but it is now time to say a few words. His Excellency addresses the function in Portuguese; I rely on Alicia from the embassy to translate for me. In brief I say the following:
Today I go to visit the Corcovado, the Statue of Christ which is the world famous monument overlooking Rio De Janeiro. It is one of the three major attractions of Rio De Janeiro, the others being the Cable Car Ride to the Top of the Sugarloaf Mountain and the famous Copacabana Beach. A train brings you most of the way to the top of the mountain where the statue stands in the middle of the Tijuca National Park, which is the largest urban forest in the world. Once off the train there is a lift and escalator to the base of the statue. The statue foundation was built in 1922 and the statue itself was completed in 1931. In 1980 it was one of the sites visited by Pope John Paul 2nd. The view is incredible and you can barely make LE Eithne’s mast out in the harbour below. Looking around the sprawling urban landscape of Rio De Janeiro you can see many of the Favelas (Slum Areas) from which so much of Rio De Janeiro’s crime emanates. In the sky above the Urubu birds glide effortlessly on updrafts. The bird, which is a scavenger, is also the mascot of the Flamengo Soccer Team.
Back on earth our sevens team is about to take on the best that Brazil can offer in opposition. My knee injury and a more recent back injury have kept me of the pitch for today and while I should be there with my team I have to make the choice between seeing the Corcovado or watching the team play. I have seen very little of Rio so far so I opt for Corcovado (The Hunchback). The report on the match is based on the account given to me by Warrant Officer John Walsh the team manager. The 7 a-side team takes the form of a round robin tournament. The games are played in sweltering heat with temperatures in the high 30’s at a military establishment just outside Rio de Janeiro. The first game kicks off at noon against Rio’s second team with the local team registering the first try, with no more scores in this half, we face what looks like an uphill struggle in the second half. John gives a few well-chosen words of encouragement at the break and out we come with all guns blazing with a try from Fergal Tubridy after some very good work from a very solid pack of Aedh McGinn, Kieran Carr, and Dwayne (Giggles) McPhilbin. 
At the rugby pitch after a twenty-minute break we take to the ground once more with the starting seven of Aedh McGinn, Kieran Carr, and Dwayne McPhilbin (forwards) Joe Byrne Noel Dunne, James Harding, Fergal Tubridy (backs). We know we will have to call on our reserves of Brian Hastings, Olan O’Keffe, Sean Lenihan and Fiachra Kelleher if we are to win the second game. The game is one minute old when one of our wingers F Tubridy tears his hamstring and has to leave the arena being replaced by Brian Hastings who gets straight into the action with a crunching tackle on one of the opposition. After some powerful play from the forwards the ball comes loose to James Harding who cuts the defence open with a beautiful dummy and sprints the forty meters to the line to put LE Eithne one up. Two minutes later Rio is on level terms and stay that way to the half time whistle. With the conditions taking their toll Olan O’Keffe, Sean Lenihan and Fiachra Kelleher are sprung from the bench to add fresh legs to the game. Our pack of Aedh McGinn, Kieran Carr, and Dwayne (Giggles) McPhilbin get the upper hand on Rio’s pack this gives our backs plenty of space on the park, with Noel Dunne going over for two tries after some excellent team work putting LE Eithne three tries to one up. Rio goes over the line in the dying seconds of the game, but it is to little to late. LE Eithne runs out winners three tries to two, leaving us undefeated on foreign soil. Another first, for the Best Little Flagship in the World. What a lead up to the Ireland England match – the result of which I am sure you know only too well.
By 1700 there is a lot of coming and going on LE Eithne. Amongst those who come to see us off are our Brazillian Laison Officers, Mr Peter O ‘Neill and Mr Brian Mc Comish the former Irish Consul in Rio De Janeiro. At 1730 we close up to harbour stations getting ready to depart from Rio De Janeiro. We are all sad to leave but our journey will bring us 1500 nautical miles closer to home. We get word that our team returning from the Task Brazil project is delayed by the heavy traffic so I delay sailing by 30 minutes. Finally with everyone on board we slip out of Rio De Janeiro – (the River of January). The harbour is spectacular at night as we glide through its waters routing north towards Fortalezza. I reflect on what we have achieved and conclude that we have crammed so much into the few days. I am sorry however that I didn’t get to walk on the Copacabana Beach or go to the top of the Sugarloaf Mountain – but maybe next time. My mind must now shift to Fortalessa and the services we will provide there – but first lets close the gap – more about that tomorrow!