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Shipping News and information / Re: 3 Men killed of the IOW
« on: September 16, 2006, 10:53:34 AM »
I was on my rounds 0410 in the morning, a few years ago, as we made our way through the Strait of Belle Isle. The engine suddenly slowed down and I beat it back to the control room to see what was going on with it. I arrived in the C/R in time to see the telegraphs go hard astern. Then you wait for the sudden stop, there is either another ship or land dead ahead. Change of watch-the new mate on the bridge has seen something the previous mate didn't.
After a few minutes, the phone rang "I suppose you are wondering what the @#!# is going on? We just had a fishing boat go across our bow"
The mate went on to say how he lost it under the bow and thought we had hit it, until it went scooting by down the side of the ship.
"#@$@* idiot", the mate continued, "he doesn't know how lucky he is, I haven't had a coffee yet."
But, telling this story there is another side. I worked the fishery patrol vessels for a bit. We used to drift watching fishing boats overnight while maintaining radio silence. It was not uncommon to get phone calls in the middle of the night from the bridge, telling us to be be prepared for a quick start. There would be a large container ship bearing down on us and not showing signs of altering course. This is not in the middle of the ocean either, this is a travelled shipping lane. We would end up starting up and moving because the mate on the other ship was either asleep or not watching the radar.
After a few minutes, the phone rang "I suppose you are wondering what the @#!# is going on? We just had a fishing boat go across our bow"
The mate went on to say how he lost it under the bow and thought we had hit it, until it went scooting by down the side of the ship.
"#@$@* idiot", the mate continued, "he doesn't know how lucky he is, I haven't had a coffee yet."
But, telling this story there is another side. I worked the fishery patrol vessels for a bit. We used to drift watching fishing boats overnight while maintaining radio silence. It was not uncommon to get phone calls in the middle of the night from the bridge, telling us to be be prepared for a quick start. There would be a large container ship bearing down on us and not showing signs of altering course. This is not in the middle of the ocean either, this is a travelled shipping lane. We would end up starting up and moving because the mate on the other ship was either asleep or not watching the radar.