Barney and the Almighty Ships! Blue Peter Bite

This is Blue Peter, but mini.

Expect epic adventures, makes, bakes, badges, pets,

presenters and your post.

We've only got five minutes, so get ready for your Blue Peter adventure.

So, as you can see, I'm at sea to see

one of the biggest ships you have ever seen, but unlike other films

I've done before, I'm not going to be driving this ship.

Instead, my super-size challenge is to learn how to park...

that.

Really? Say hello to the Carmen.

She's almost as long as two football pitches put end to end

and she weighs the equivalent of over 6,000 double-decker buses.

Ships like the Carmen can literally sail anywhere in the world,

transporting everything from your toothbrush to your family car.

When they get near port, it's the job of local sailors,

known as pilots, to take control and bring them in safely.

Some of these ships are so huge they only just fit into our ports,

so they need specialist care. And they're letting me have a go.

They won't. I won't get to have a go.

When they see what I do, they'll be, like, "Get off my ship."

I'm going to be helping pilot Sean as he guides the Carmen into

Southampton harbour. But before I could set foot on-board,

I had to go through some very special training.

So, this is it. The moment has arrived.

I'm about to drive the biggest boat you've ever seen.

OK, Barney, stay focused. Stay calm. You can do this.

Oh.

Well, it's not quite what I had in mind.

This is Warsash Maritime Academy and these may look like toy

boats, but they are actually scale models of real ships.

Pilots must undergo their training here

before they can control the real thing.

A pilot doesn't actually steer a ship -

they tell the crew how to manoeuvre it.

Sean takes me through all the commands a pilot uses

and then sets me a test, to navigate a course around the lake

marked out by buoys, and I've got to bring the boat into harbour.

Welcome aboard HMS Harewood.

'That may sound easy, but remembering all the different

'commands is actually really tricky.'

-Starboard engine. Full...ast...er... Backwards.

-Full astern.

-Astern.

-Full astern.

-OK, Barney.

Full ahead.

-Full ahead?

-Full ahead and starboard 20.

'It's a lot to take in and then things go from bad to worse.'

OK, full astern. Stop full astern.

-Full astern stopped.

-No.

We're not where you want to be, Barney.

-We're stuck in the bushes here, I think.

-Yeah.

-I think we need somebody to pull us out, I think.

-Sorry.

'It's a good job it's not the real thing.'

Oh, dear.

'I have realised where I'm going wrong.

'Boats take a long time to change course,

'so I need to give the command to turn

'way before we actually need to.'

-Starboard ten.

-Starboard ten. You're in control.

'We attempt the course again and, this time,

'I'm determined to crack it.'

OK, stop engines.

'Done it. Yes!'

-Not too bad at all, Barney. Can't complain about that.

-Yes.

'It's time to put what I've learned into practise on the Carmen.'

It's quite nerve-racking, this bit.

Because, obviously, we're not in a port,

so we can't just get onto the ship. We're at sea

and the only way to get onto this ship

is up that flimsy, little rope ladder.

-Shall we go?

-Yeah, let's do it.

Are you ready? All right, here we go.

Oh, yes, like a proper pirate.

My career has reached new heights. Ha-ha!

Once on-board, we head straight to the bridge, where Sean takes

control and starts guiding the Carmen into port.

The exact same commands that I learned on the lake apply here,

so it's time for me to put my training into practise.

I'm about to give a command that moves this ship to the port side

by five degrees. When I give the command, the helmsman will...

-OK, Barney, this is a good time to go, I reckon.

-All right, OK.

-Helmsman, port five, please.

-Port five.

I'd make a great pilot, wouldn't I? I hand over to Sean and the crew

and leave them to manoeuvre the Carmen.

It's amazing how precise they have to be.

At one point there's the length of just one and a half cars between the

bottom of the ship and the seabed. Under Sean's watchful eye,

and with the assistance of his helper, that's me, by the way,

-we guide the ship in.

-Bargate, no wait now, please.

We're trying to work out how close we are to the berth.

It's difficult to tell how close you are from these windows

because you're over it. They've thought about that

and they've put windows in the floor.

You can see exactly how close the side of the ship is to the berth.

Thanks very much. Very nice job.

It's at this point I would normally say, "I want one."

But where would I put it?

Who am I kidding? I still want one.

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