Ab and competent crew

[John Arton]

Going up to Fawley was always a nightmare with all those yachties around and especially so during Cowes week.
Best one I heard was...
"Mayday, Mayday, we have overturned and there are persons in the water"
response
"Name and position please"
Answer
"xxxx family, 20 metres off Cowes pier"
That was true.
Re. Examiners responses, best one I ever heard that apparently came from old Stevenson in Newcastle when the exam centre was in the city centre.
A very smartly dressed, confident, young candidate for 2nd Mates walks into the examiners office for his appointed orals, looks around, removes his raincoat and hangs it up on the peg next to the examiners hat and coat, the turns to the examiner awaiting his first question.
The examiner says nothing, just gets up and takes the candidates raincoat, opens the window and throws it out, saying to the candidate,
"Man overboard, what action do you take".
Looking around the candidate spots the examiners hat, quickly grabbing it he throws it out of the same window, saying,
"Throw him a lifebelt sir".
I believe 6 months sea time was the result of his actions.
rgds
JA

[cappy]

###picked up a mayday from the yacht gold doubloon ......in bermuda triangle.....on a shell tanker .....looked in reported position for hours ......found nix later heard lost with crew ....was in the shell tanker hemiplecta......was heavy weather and she was going a bit so the yottie must have had a hard time....1958 cappy