Helicopter antics off Walton today

[iainbluk]

Whilst off Walton this afternoon was circled then hailed on ch 16 by Rescue 125 Yellow Sea King Helicopter and asked if they could practice a long line crew transfer with us. We were onboard Zulu, Bavaria 38, steering 040 close hauled on port. They asked us to maintain course under sail, then approached carefully from the rear till overhead then dropped their line which we caught in a bucket and pulled in. They then sent their man down to the port quarter and we helped him in over the rail. He then shook our hands, disconnected the long line which he gave to us as a souvenir, and signalled to his mate he was ready to go, then shot off back to the aircraft.

A very interesting end to our trip back from Burnham to Pin Mill!

 

[Athene V30]

A few years ago we did a practice with some Royal Marines wanting to wiz down some ropes onto the foredeck of the 20 metre patrol boat HMS Raider in preparation for a display on the Thames.

On the day in question the first 'bootneck' slid down the rope as the bow hit a wave and heeled and he went neatly overboard. By the time the bridge team had finished laughing and realised there was a man overboard the helo had picked up the bootneck who didn't want to play again!!