Ab and competent crew

[Ivan Cloherty]

There was a film many years ago where they made a phoney landing on the moon, the crew in the space ship had thought they had actually landed on the moon but when they examined the shadows of photographs of them on the moon they found that the shadows were in the wrong direction for the time of day the photos were to supposed to have been taken. They were told they had remain on the moon until they had sorted out a problem and noticed the flag fluttering but thought nothing of it at the time and reboarded the craft and eventually landed back on earth but in actuality had never left earth. They had unbeknown to themselves been drugged and been fed information under hypnosis. To stop the truth leaking out they one by one met with accidents within the spaceship and tge quarintine zone, one escaped but was caught and eliminated. Some well known actors were in this film but I am struggling to remember their names and the name of the film.

[j.sabourn]

#39...That's right Cappy the world isn't round, it is an elliptical shape with its polar diameter being approx. 27 miles less than its equatorial diameter. KT this should have been one of the first things you were taught when up for Yacht master as has a definite bearing on your plane and Mercator sailing re. Mercator charts etc. The moon is only made with blue cheese anyway, so all these bits they brought back must have found on the local tip. Cheers JS

[j.sabourn]

#41... Ivan a good title would of been "one flew over the cuckoos nest", but as this was snapped up by another movie missed the opportunity. As regards insurance on all these would be venturers on the high seas, to take a car out on the roads in most parts of the world one has to have a driving licence and be insured for third party at the very least, why does not this law not also apply to small rowing boats etc. making hazarduous journeys. JS

[Keith Tindell]

i attended an incident here on the Island approx 30 years ago, about 5 oclock in mid winter , and pitch dark, the hydrofoil ferry was coming into Cowes from Southampton, as he slowed down in the river there was a small fishing boat with Grandad, son, and grandson on board, no lights , lifejackets etc, the ferry did not see them, and ran over them. The ferry skipper heard the screams as he ran over them, threw the ferry in astern, and unknowing reversed back over them. It took some time to locate two of them, the son lost an arm and a leg, the grandad lost his life, the grandson was pulled from the water unharmed. Even a flashlight might have saved them. So i am in favour of all boat owners having some form of qualification, and insurance KT

[Des Taff Jenkins]

HI Cappy.
I believe I was a competent AB for most of my time at sea, except when pished; but I would never have attempted what that young sixteen year old girl
From Aus did sailing around the world on her own in a tiny yacht, people went to court to try to stop her but she did what she wanted to do and good on her. As for who is the most competent I think to each their own.
Cheers Des.

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The best antiques are old friends

[Ivan Cloherty]

When I was on trawlers I heard the Skippers talking with contempt about coasters and deep sea ships, when I was deep sea I heard them talk about trawlers and coasting men with contempt, when I was coasting I heard them talking about about deep sea and trawlers with contempt, but these men had only served in a particular service and not one of the others as well. Having served in all three I found that all were excellent seamen in their trades, as the trades required different skills. I have never 'yachted' but admire the skills of those who face the wrath of the Atlantic or Pacific, but the 'yachties' I abhored were those who knew only one rule 'steam gives way to sail' or those who didn't even know that! our cure in the Solent was to rig fire hoses on the foc'le port and starboard, surprising how many weekend sailors didn't like getting wet, or had no concept of how cargo ships etc were limited in manouvers by the channel they were in.

[cappy]

There was a film many years ago where they made a phoney landing on the moon, the crew in the space ship had thought they had actually landed on the moon but when they examined the shadows of photographs of them on the moon they found that the shadows were in the wrong direction for the time of day the photos were to supposed to have been taken. They were told they had remain on the moon until they had sorted out a problem and noticed the flag fluttering but thought nothing of it at the time and reboarded the craft and eventually landed back on earth but in actuality had never left earth. They had unbeknown to themselves been drugged and been fed information under hypnosis. To stop the truth leaking out they one by one met with accidents within the spaceship and tge quarintine zone, one escaped but was caught and eliminated. Some well known actors were in this film but I am struggling to remember their names and the name of the film.

was it laurel and hardy lol cappy

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HI Cappy.
I believe I was a competent AB for most of my time at sea, except when pished; but I would never have attempted what that young sixteen year old girl
From Aus did sailing around the world on her own in a tiny yacht, people went to court to try to stop her but she did what she wanted to do and good on her. As for who is the most competent I think to each their own.
Cheers Des.

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The best antiques are old friends

#####thats an intresting thought ...at 16 to do that she sure has something des........god help her husband....regards cappy

[j.sabourn]

What I can remember of Rule of the road for sailing vessels was that a power driven vessel shall keep clear of a vessel under sail. A sailing vessel close hauled on the port tack shall keep clear of a vessel which is close hauled on the starboard tack, a vessel which is running free shall keep clear of all others. With the addition of more rules added to the original 32 of my time isn't there a rule to cover deep drafted power vessels in a channel as regards to their manouverabality seem to remember seeing it, rule 34 or something. Cheers JS And that's without getting into seaplanes on the water also being considered as power driven vessels. JS

[j.sabourn]

Prelimary to the Rules and Regulations for the Prevention of Collissions at sea.... These Rules shall be followed by all vessels and seaplanes on the high seas and in all waters connected therewith navigable by seagoing vessels, except as provided in Rule 30 where as a result of their special construction it is not possible for seaplanes to comply fully with the provision of rules specifying the carriage of lights and shapes. These Rules shall be followed as closely as circumstances permit. The Rules concerning lights shall be carried out in all weathers from sunset to sunrise and during such time no other lights shall be exhibited, except such lights as cannot be mistaken for the prescribed lights or interfere with the keeping of a proper lookout..................This preliminary goes on before the actual Rules or as we knew them as the Articles ......This is from memory and is something else which learned at an early age will always be there.
Saying that on first going to sea I wondered how a passenger ship steaming along as one huge blaze of light could get away with it as could hardly pick out his sidelights. Shows that a lot of laws are made with tongue in cheek. Cheers JS

[Ivan Cloherty]

Tricky examiners

'Right lad, you see something right ahead red to your red and green to your green, what do you do'

perplexed student ' how can that be'

examiner 'do nowt lad, it's a seaplane flying upside down coming towards you'