A sea bat is a mithical creature. You have to experience "it" to appreciate the creature. Navy men have lots of time at sea to think up items such as sea bats, Mail buoys,or a hundred other things to break up the monotony while steaming across the ocean.
Usually the "sea bat" is captured under a box or bucket on the weather decks, an unsuspecting sailor is usually talked into taking a peek under the box or bucket to see the sea bat. While bending over to look under the box, the bristle end of a broom is usually liberally applied to the back end of the unsuspecting sailor. Hence the sailor gets to experience a "sea bat".
This has been around for years and years, it's nice to know that tradition remains in-tact.
Originally posted by 17313125: A sea bat is a mithical creature. You have to experience "it" to appreciate the creature. Navy men have lots of time at sea to think up items such as sea bats, Mail buoys,or a hundred other things to break up the monotony while steaming across the ocean.
Usually the "sea bat" is captured under a box or bucket on the weather decks, an unsuspecting sailor is usually talked into taking a peek under the box or bucket to see the sea bat. While bending over to look under the box, the bristle end of a broom is usually liberally applied to the back end of the unsuspecting sailor. Hence the sailor gets to experience a "sea bat".
This has been around for years and years, it's nice to know that tradition remains in-tact.
Thank you for broadcasting that information "in the clear," for all the uninitiated world to see.
Gentleman, I agree with you on "Broadcasting" that in the clear. But as we know only too well there are those who will remain uninformed and unaware until BITTEN!!!!
I did indeed encounter Sea Bats upon my first attachment to a Carrier. There were many rounds of laughter among the Sea Bat capturers and my squadron shipmates.
Originally posted by JPope: Gentleman, I agree with you on "Broadcasting" that in the clear. But as we know only too well there are those who will remain uninformed and unaware until BITTEN!!!!
And even then some remain clueless - we had a female LT get annoyed when the bat was applied to her posterior. She said "Will you guys cut it out? I'm trying to look at the sea bat!"
My old CO had a picture on the bulkhead in his stateroom - him standing next to a couple of sailors hoding up this monstrosity with a three-foor wingspan. Seems his guys had managed to grab a Malaysian fruit bat...
You know that look a woman gets when she wants sex? Neither do I.
In 1972 while on a midshipmen cruise out of San Diego, I had the great fortune apply the "sea bat" to the rear end of a midshipmen that was stupid enough to bend over and try to look under a big box. In 1973 he came aboard ship in the PI and became my division officer. He did his best to make my life miserable, but I was a short timer and didn't let it bother me much.
I never had the sea bat, but had various other such gags(won't mention here, don't want the demotion). I myself pulled off a beauty of a prank when on our second deployment. We (shipmates from 1st deployment)had concocted a story about a ghost lady that sometimes hovered around the harpoon tubes on our fantail (Ticonderoga Class Cruiser), and of course told the story to the newbies. One dark stormy night, when one such newbie was on watch (midwatch), aft lookout, I had the boys begin telling the story to him on the lookout net. Meanwhile I stole down to the berthing and grabbed a sheet, then made my way to the missile deck which looked down on him. I hung the sheet over the rail and let the wind unfurl it before letting go. When I did, the wind carried it right over to him, hovering over the deck as it went. You should of heard the shriek that came from him when it wrapped around him and the launcher. Hahaha my best one ever.
i have first hand experience with seabats. they are NOT mythical or harmless. they are heavily armed, light reconnaissance aircraft employing stealth technology.
the OH-6 Cayuse/"Loach", made up the SEABAT teams supporting Task Force 160 during Operation Prime Chance (Army) aka Operation Earnest Will (Navy) on the FOB Hercules in 1988.
How stealthy were they?
We were shown gun camera film of the bridge watch on a super tanker as they looked directly at the helo, drinking coffee, without any clue it was hovering over the deck directly in front of them.
gmcm
This message has been edited. Last edited by: neverenoughammo,
Well the lookouts in my day were always alert and not a GU 11 or B 1 RD ever made it by them. I regret to say The Mail Bouy Lookouts were not so efficient and we went many a day with out mail, got to go someone is asking for the relative bearing grease. Westpac Willie Forgot to mention it is See Bat under the bucket.
I can attest to the stealthiness(is that a word?) of some helicopters for sure. One instance in particular we were steaming at night off of SOCAL, and our aft lookout kept saying there was something out there in the night. After watch I walked back to the fantail and was standing next to the lookout for a few minutes, when I saw a red light and gasped. There was a black helo hovering about 20 YDS behind the ship, just sitting there. It was very quiet. Later I found out that they were indeed using our platform for such testing. It was a little freaky actually.
My turn! Back before they had "A" schools for officers a young ensign, assigned as the M division officer, was heading down to the snipe realm for the first time.
Knowing he was coming, some snipes removed the steam tight and the light bulb. They then removed the metal end of the bulb, filled the bulb half full of water, glued the metal end back on, and reinstall. Power off of course. You know where this going. While in awe of the engine room, he heard yelling and saw snipes point to the half water filled bulb. "Holy Crap! We're pumping water through the electrical system. Sir you've got to tell the Chief Engineer ASAP!" He did. Don't think he ever recovered! USS Richard E.Byrd (DDG-23) Somewhere between 75-78. And no, it was not me. Was Commo.
Wonderful! Had pretty much forgotten about the Dreaded Sea Bat (Cousin of the Elusive Swamp Snipe) but just as painful a "bite"!
Luckily, having been steeped in "Navy" from a very young age, I had all this in my head when I joined (I was young and the head was still fairly empty... in those days it was EASY to retreive information from my brane) so whenever I got an order to find (waterline)(a bucket of steam) (THAT grease)I just went up to the Bosun's Locker and did some more fancywork for an hour or so, then reported back with wide eyes, empty hands and a (not difficult for me at ANY time, then OR since) dumb expression.
Took the Chief about five minutes to figger me out, but our BM1 never did and kept sending me for things over and over again. Got a lot of fancywork done. Kept Boats amused as well.
Pulling of the Sea-Bat, Mail Bouy, Bucket of blue steam, Relative Bearing Grease, 50' of chow line, etc. gags on a boot is one thing, but when you can pull it off on an E5/6 (or higher) OSVET or even a SeaBee you have accomplished something.
