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- May 20, 2001
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- #1
I thought I would share this supposedly true story with you.
Some of the language may be foriegn to you, {particularly land lubbers!} Its quite funny none the less.
I apologize for its length.
M.V. HYDERABAD,
BOMBAY
VOYAGE REPORT No. 3
Dear Sirs,
I regret that such a small misunderstanding could lead to the following circumstances, and haste in order that you will receive this report before you form incorrect opinions from sensationalized reports in the world press, for I am sure they will greatly over dramatise the affair.
We had just picked up the pilot, and the apprentice had returned from changing the “ G ” flag for the “H” and, being his first trip, was having difficulty in rolling the “G” flag up. I therefore proceeded to show him how to do this. Coming to the last part, I told him to “Let go.” The lad, although helpful and obliging, is somewhat lacking in intelligence, necessitating that I repeat the order in a somewhat sharper tone of voice.
At this moment the chief officer appeared from the chart room, having been plotting the vessel’s progress, and, thinking that it was the anchors that were being referred to, repeated the “Let go.” order to the forecastle. The port anchor, having been cleared away but not yet walked out, was promptly let go. The third officer is to be commended for the rapidity with which the order was complied. However, the effect of letting the anchor drop from the hawse pipe while the vessel was proceeding at full harbour speed proved too much for the windlass brake, and the entire length of port cable was “pulled out by the roots” one might say. I fear that the damage to the chain locker may be extensive. The braking effect of the port anchor naturally caused the vessel to sheer in that direction, directly toward the swing bridge that spans a tributary of the river, up which we were proceeding.
The swing bridge operator displayed great presence of mind by opening his bridge for my vessel. Unfortunately he did not think to first stop the vehicular traffic before doing so, the result being that the bridge partly opened and deposited a Volkswagon, two motor cyclists and a cattle transport on the foredeck before being jammed by an articulated lorry.
My ships company are presently rounding up the contents of the cattle transporter, which from the noise I would say are pigs.
After the port anchor was let go and the vessel started to sheer to port, I gave a double ring full astern on the engine room telegraph, and personally rang the engine room to order maximum astern revolutions. I was informed that the sea temperature was 53 degrees Fahrenheit and was asked if there was to be a film in the ward room tonight. My reply would not add constructively to this report. Shortly after this time, in his efforts to arrest the progress of the vessel, the third officer dropped the starboard anchor. Too late, alas, to be of any practical use, for it fell onto the bridge operator’s cabin, just before the vessel’s forecastle wedged itself solidly under the partly opened bridge.
Up to now I have confined my report to the foreward end of the vessel. Astern, my crew were also having their problems. At the moment that the port anchor was let go, the second officer was supervising the making-fast of the after tug and was lowering the ship’s towing spring down to the tug. The sudden braking effects of the port and then starboard anchors caused the tug to run into the stern of my vessel, just at the moment when the screw was answering the my double ring full astern. The quick action of the second officer in securing the inboard end of the towing spring delayed the sinking of the tug by some minutes, thereby enabling the safe abandoning of that vessel.
It may be purely a coincidence, but only moments after the port anchor was let go, there was a power cut ashore. The fact that we were over a “cable area” at the time might suggest that we may have possibly touched something on the river bed. It is never-the-less very fortunate that the high tension cables brought down by the main-mast were not live, possibly being replaced by the undersea cable, but owing to the blackout ashore, I am unable to ascertain exactly where the pylons fell.
Sirs, it never ceases to amaze me the actions and behaviours of foreign persons during moments of crisis. The pilot for instance, is at this, moment huddle in a corner in my day cabin, alternately crooning to himself and crying, after having consumed a full bottle of my best gin in a time which is surely worthy of inclusion in the Guiness Book of Records.
It is a disgrace that a man should be permitted to hold a responsible position such as his, while entertaining such a severe weakness for unbridled quantities of strong alcoholic beverage. The tug master on the other hand reacted in a most violent fashion to his gallant rescue by the third officer, and had to be restrained by my steward, who has him handcuffed in the ships hospital, where he is insisting that I do impossible things with my ship and my person.
I enclose the names and addresses of the drivers and their insurance companies of the vehicles on my foredeck, which the third officer collected after his somewhat hurried evacuation of the forecastle. These particulars will enable you to claim some recompense for the damage that they did to the railings of the number 1 hold.
It is sad to think that had the apprentice realized that there is no need to fly pilot flags after dark, none of these things need have happened.
For weekly accountability report I will assign the following numbers T/740199 to T/750101 inclusive.
Yours faithfully
Master, M.V. Hyderabad.
Pretty F
NNY eh?
Some of the language may be foriegn to you, {particularly land lubbers!} Its quite funny none the less.
I apologize for its length.
M.V. HYDERABAD,
BOMBAY
VOYAGE REPORT No. 3
Dear Sirs,
I regret that such a small misunderstanding could lead to the following circumstances, and haste in order that you will receive this report before you form incorrect opinions from sensationalized reports in the world press, for I am sure they will greatly over dramatise the affair.
We had just picked up the pilot, and the apprentice had returned from changing the “ G ” flag for the “H” and, being his first trip, was having difficulty in rolling the “G” flag up. I therefore proceeded to show him how to do this. Coming to the last part, I told him to “Let go.” The lad, although helpful and obliging, is somewhat lacking in intelligence, necessitating that I repeat the order in a somewhat sharper tone of voice.
At this moment the chief officer appeared from the chart room, having been plotting the vessel’s progress, and, thinking that it was the anchors that were being referred to, repeated the “Let go.” order to the forecastle. The port anchor, having been cleared away but not yet walked out, was promptly let go. The third officer is to be commended for the rapidity with which the order was complied. However, the effect of letting the anchor drop from the hawse pipe while the vessel was proceeding at full harbour speed proved too much for the windlass brake, and the entire length of port cable was “pulled out by the roots” one might say. I fear that the damage to the chain locker may be extensive. The braking effect of the port anchor naturally caused the vessel to sheer in that direction, directly toward the swing bridge that spans a tributary of the river, up which we were proceeding.
The swing bridge operator displayed great presence of mind by opening his bridge for my vessel. Unfortunately he did not think to first stop the vehicular traffic before doing so, the result being that the bridge partly opened and deposited a Volkswagon, two motor cyclists and a cattle transport on the foredeck before being jammed by an articulated lorry.
My ships company are presently rounding up the contents of the cattle transporter, which from the noise I would say are pigs.
After the port anchor was let go and the vessel started to sheer to port, I gave a double ring full astern on the engine room telegraph, and personally rang the engine room to order maximum astern revolutions. I was informed that the sea temperature was 53 degrees Fahrenheit and was asked if there was to be a film in the ward room tonight. My reply would not add constructively to this report. Shortly after this time, in his efforts to arrest the progress of the vessel, the third officer dropped the starboard anchor. Too late, alas, to be of any practical use, for it fell onto the bridge operator’s cabin, just before the vessel’s forecastle wedged itself solidly under the partly opened bridge.
Up to now I have confined my report to the foreward end of the vessel. Astern, my crew were also having their problems. At the moment that the port anchor was let go, the second officer was supervising the making-fast of the after tug and was lowering the ship’s towing spring down to the tug. The sudden braking effects of the port and then starboard anchors caused the tug to run into the stern of my vessel, just at the moment when the screw was answering the my double ring full astern. The quick action of the second officer in securing the inboard end of the towing spring delayed the sinking of the tug by some minutes, thereby enabling the safe abandoning of that vessel.
It may be purely a coincidence, but only moments after the port anchor was let go, there was a power cut ashore. The fact that we were over a “cable area” at the time might suggest that we may have possibly touched something on the river bed. It is never-the-less very fortunate that the high tension cables brought down by the main-mast were not live, possibly being replaced by the undersea cable, but owing to the blackout ashore, I am unable to ascertain exactly where the pylons fell.
Sirs, it never ceases to amaze me the actions and behaviours of foreign persons during moments of crisis. The pilot for instance, is at this, moment huddle in a corner in my day cabin, alternately crooning to himself and crying, after having consumed a full bottle of my best gin in a time which is surely worthy of inclusion in the Guiness Book of Records.
It is a disgrace that a man should be permitted to hold a responsible position such as his, while entertaining such a severe weakness for unbridled quantities of strong alcoholic beverage. The tug master on the other hand reacted in a most violent fashion to his gallant rescue by the third officer, and had to be restrained by my steward, who has him handcuffed in the ships hospital, where he is insisting that I do impossible things with my ship and my person.
I enclose the names and addresses of the drivers and their insurance companies of the vehicles on my foredeck, which the third officer collected after his somewhat hurried evacuation of the forecastle. These particulars will enable you to claim some recompense for the damage that they did to the railings of the number 1 hold.
It is sad to think that had the apprentice realized that there is no need to fly pilot flags after dark, none of these things need have happened.
For weekly accountability report I will assign the following numbers T/740199 to T/750101 inclusive.
Yours faithfully
Master, M.V. Hyderabad.
Pretty F
NNY eh?
