Fog

[Colin Wood]

Although this has been extensively in other posts, it probably really needs a heading of its own.
Our company pilot in Liverpool told us about the ship he had piloted the previous day. After hand over etc the Master told the pilot to be careful of the 3rd. Mate. He was a first tripper officer who had recently joined the vessel. The previous day when entering Irish sea from south he had looked out of his porthole and saw that they were approaching a fog bank. Trying to give OOW a chance to act he resumed checking paper work. Shortly after he again looked out to find he could hardly see the focsle for the fog. NO standbye had been rung, no whistle being blown and no notification to master. He ran to the bridge to find the 3 ate sitting in the chart room reading. When asked why he was not keeping a lookout he replied, "Keep a lookout Captain, you can't see a goddam thing"

[Ivan Cloherty]

Nice story Colin, I think every company pilot told that one, alas a lot of visitors on here just may believe it. Sailed on a few of ships without radar, some oldies steam powered where the Chief would say, you can have the whistle or the engine, but you canna have both

[John Arton]

Remember those curtains that could be drawn around the radar sets to block out daylight so as to avoid having to use the hood to view the screen?
A mate of mine was on the cross channel ferries and leaving Dover in dense fog him and the captain were glued to the radar sets behind those curtains giving out engine and helm orders to the bridge crew, after the had made a successful radar assisted crossing on approaching Calais they stuck their heads around the curtains to find that it was a brilliant sunny day, asking the QM how long it had been clear and sunny he replied "about 5 minutes after leaving Dover" and when asked why he had not told them so he said he thought they were doing a training run to familiarise themselves with the new radars.
Rgds
J.A.

[Colin Wood]

Had a friend on a trawler who told the story of the skipper who always complained that the radar got dimmer and dimmer as the trip went on. Technician would check and find nothing wrong. One trip technician got on as the trawler entered the locks and on checking the radar found the screen buried in cigarette ash from thee old mans smoking. Apparently the cleaning crew had got on board and cleaned the screen before the technician boarded n previous trips.

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Steaming through the Bass straight on 12 - 4 suddenly heard a dog barking. Eventually realised it was the seals.