Reading Blue Coat CCF Royal Navy Section attended the Damage Repair and Instructional Unit at the Phoenix School of Maritime Survivability, HMS EXCELLENT, Portsmouth.

The Damage Repair and Instructional Unit – known throughout the Navy as DRIU (pronounced ‘drew’) is a mock-up of a flooding ship which rocks and rolls as cadets try to plug gaps in the hull using wood. Split over three decks, the unit simulates compartments of a ship with water rushing in through various holes. Cadets are expected to stop the inrush of water using blocks of wood and hammers.