Yes there are only a limited number of sailors but I can assure you they will be working around the clock, non stop, performing miracles. Yes that term might be a slight exaggeration but when others look back at what they have achieved in such a short time they will indeed be humbled. - Glojo
No exaggeration whatsoever - I recall having to lock the three-stripe XO in his cabin after several days of virtual non-stop dawn to dusk hurricane relief work in the Windies to avoid him becoming completely exhausted. In addition, the super-human efforts of the rest of the ship's company resulted in an OBE for the said XO, MBEs for a Surgeon Lieutenant and the Lieutenant who worked wonders on treating patients and re-establishing the local hospital respectively, and several other awards for other sailors, including the one who, ahem, decked the local airport manager for obstructing his team's efforts at runway clearance to enable the Alberts to arrive - which they very speedily and commendably did !
I never saw any piece of machinery that could not be repaired by the ship's artificers\mechanicians. - Glojo
Oh so true, as indeed is so much of what Glojo has said in his illuminating posts! On a lighter note, a team of my sailors were clearing the jungle road from the "capital" to the airport by the simple but effective means of a chainsaw on either side of the road, and "sailor power" to shift the resultant logs. They came round a corner to find a bulldozer sitting idle by the roadside. Obvious question, why don't we use that, only to be told by our local guide that it wasn't working. Next question, "Any one of you lads know anything about bulldozers?" and up steps Jack, who succeeds in firing it up after about half an hour's work and the addition of some dieso. Local guide's response, "Man, that's just amazing - that bulldozer hasn't worked for four years!"
And one for the Loggies, it was the only time I ever had to authorise a "Flash" stores demand, the end result of which Albert duly dropped at sea the next day.
Certainly no shortage of inter-Service co-operation there, thank you.
Jack