The challenge of shared adversity is a constant, selfless sacrifice - a given. Camaraderie is often their only reward - but what a reward! Naval service changes all of them - for the better.Twenty-four sailors from every walk of life, of every age and temperament, living literally cheek-by-jowl for week after week, away from family and friends sometimes for months at a time. All crammed in an elderly 40 metre metal hulled boat - in seas of all conditions with temperatures often in the 30's.
It's a pressure cooker that can bring out the best, and sometimes the worst, in all of them - man and woman alike. It calls upon reserves of devotion to duty, tolerance, obedience and of course humour, way beyond that which most people possess.
There is also a romanticism about the century old traditions of Naval service, be it the mysterious allure of the sea or those white uniforms! Sea Patrol is about adventures that forge deep and lasting friendships. Blue skies, white sands, throbbing motors and star filled nights.
The smell of diesel in the morning and the splash of trailing dolphins or whales. Explosive action and monumental stillness, a closeness to nature. The awesome beauty of tropical waters, its wildlife, and the terrifying intensity of tropical storms.
Mysterious events and deadly consequences. At sea, man is at his most lonely and vulnerable, entirely at the mercy of capricious Mother Nature's unpredictable winds and waves. It's a special kind of person who chooses to live and work 'on the edge' like this. They form bonds of mateship that will never be broken. Patrol boat sailors say their job is the best in Navy. A small boat and its crew, facing real dangers - not just war game