byron
RIP
Aren\'t I lucky
I started boating when the Thames was run efficiently by people who cared, when Europe didn't dictate our regulations, when boaters took a pride in their seamanship, when petty officials were mocked for their idiocies. OK! I had to put up a Q flag when arriving in Europe (or returning) and would have Customs crawling over my boat in case I had an extra bottle of Brandy aboard but that was all part of the fun. On arrival anywhere the local yacht club would send a Flag Officer to invite me for drinkies. I carried a document issued by my club "DEMANDING" that port officials treated me with respect and courtesy on pain of their intervention with their Foreign Office. Oh Yes and Deisel was 10 old pence (5p) a gallon. Which was stinking cheap even then.
We didn't have modern navigation aids but what we'd never had we didn't miss anyway. Not for us the luxury of VHF, Radar, Satnav but we managed to cope without some Dickhead telling us we needed a bit of paper issued by another Dickhead who was presumed to be an expert because he'd passed some exams in front of yet another Dickhead.
Incidentally in those days Thames had around 4 Master Mariners on their payroll, dudes who understood boats, not for them a qualification that shows they can run a Leisure centre. Even John Redmond started as a summer assistant and worked his way up to the job of Chief Navigation Officer.
I could go on but I am becoming a boring old fart even in my own eyes.
I started boating when the Thames was run efficiently by people who cared, when Europe didn't dictate our regulations, when boaters took a pride in their seamanship, when petty officials were mocked for their idiocies. OK! I had to put up a Q flag when arriving in Europe (or returning) and would have Customs crawling over my boat in case I had an extra bottle of Brandy aboard but that was all part of the fun. On arrival anywhere the local yacht club would send a Flag Officer to invite me for drinkies. I carried a document issued by my club "DEMANDING" that port officials treated me with respect and courtesy on pain of their intervention with their Foreign Office. Oh Yes and Deisel was 10 old pence (5p) a gallon. Which was stinking cheap even then.
We didn't have modern navigation aids but what we'd never had we didn't miss anyway. Not for us the luxury of VHF, Radar, Satnav but we managed to cope without some Dickhead telling us we needed a bit of paper issued by another Dickhead who was presumed to be an expert because he'd passed some exams in front of yet another Dickhead.
Incidentally in those days Thames had around 4 Master Mariners on their payroll, dudes who understood boats, not for them a qualification that shows they can run a Leisure centre. Even John Redmond started as a summer assistant and worked his way up to the job of Chief Navigation Officer.
I could go on but I am becoming a boring old fart even in my own eyes.
