hlb
RIP
We charted a sports cruiser today from Port Stanley Park in Blackpool. I did inform the management that I had forgotten to bring along my ICC certificate and ships radio licence. But on production of a fiver all was hushed up. Doubtlessly they could see from my weather beaten brow that I was a true professional. The marina staff was very attentive and even helped us to board and leave the pontoon.
There did seem to be a shortage of navigational instruments on board the vessel, but I guessed as these are personal types of things, you were expected to bring your own.
So steering by dead reckoning, we made course for the Southern Islands, arriving there without incident around 16-30 hours BST. Cruising round the island, I made mental notes for the log, that another sports cruiser with an oriental captain had snagged his stern gear on some fishing gear leading from the Western shore. The fisher man looked very angry although no buoys black oil cans or flags had been shown. Of course we stood by the vessel ready to give assistance, or hail the coast guards. The VHF set being obviously kept in some locker that we had yet to come acquainted with. Eventually the oriental captain freed his craft from the fishing gear by using methods obviously learned on some distant ocean and assistance being no longer required we carried on our voyage. Mid way between the Island and the Southern shores we came across what looked to be obvious pirate type boats with a strange paddle wheel method of propulsion. I guessed that being pirate boats the crew would be slaves, and this being the cheapest form of motive power. For some reason both boats had particularly short crew members and they were all engaged in trying to sink there rival and board them at the same time! I made a note in the log to avoid these southern latitudes in the future, not only because of the pirates but even the sports cruisers helmsmen seemed to take no account of the international regulations for collisions at sea and we had to take evasive action on a number of occasions.
During our voyage it came distinctly clear that there was a total lack of safety gear on the craft, a point I was surprised at, having charted the vessel from the local municipal council. Not only that, but at the end of our cruise and approaching our berth. It was noticed that there was no reverse gear or neutral! However the knowledgeable marina staff seemed aware of this problem and promptly moored the vessel by means of along pole with a hook on the end!!
<hr width=100% size=1> <font color=blue>No one can force me to come here.<font color=red> I'm a volunteer!!.<font color=blue>
Haydn
There did seem to be a shortage of navigational instruments on board the vessel, but I guessed as these are personal types of things, you were expected to bring your own.
So steering by dead reckoning, we made course for the Southern Islands, arriving there without incident around 16-30 hours BST. Cruising round the island, I made mental notes for the log, that another sports cruiser with an oriental captain had snagged his stern gear on some fishing gear leading from the Western shore. The fisher man looked very angry although no buoys black oil cans or flags had been shown. Of course we stood by the vessel ready to give assistance, or hail the coast guards. The VHF set being obviously kept in some locker that we had yet to come acquainted with. Eventually the oriental captain freed his craft from the fishing gear by using methods obviously learned on some distant ocean and assistance being no longer required we carried on our voyage. Mid way between the Island and the Southern shores we came across what looked to be obvious pirate type boats with a strange paddle wheel method of propulsion. I guessed that being pirate boats the crew would be slaves, and this being the cheapest form of motive power. For some reason both boats had particularly short crew members and they were all engaged in trying to sink there rival and board them at the same time! I made a note in the log to avoid these southern latitudes in the future, not only because of the pirates but even the sports cruisers helmsmen seemed to take no account of the international regulations for collisions at sea and we had to take evasive action on a number of occasions.
During our voyage it came distinctly clear that there was a total lack of safety gear on the craft, a point I was surprised at, having charted the vessel from the local municipal council. Not only that, but at the end of our cruise and approaching our berth. It was noticed that there was no reverse gear or neutral! However the knowledgeable marina staff seemed aware of this problem and promptly moored the vessel by means of along pole with a hook on the end!!
<hr width=100% size=1> <font color=blue>No one can force me to come here.<font color=red> I'm a volunteer!!.<font color=blue>
Haydn
