VIEW FROM THE TOWER!

A friend in one of the local sailing clubs sent us this article today; it's very much related to the earlier article here about Signal Flags, and tells the story of a nasty situation that could happen to anyone... I nearly killed someone the other day... We were returning from our spring cruise to Cornwall taking advantage of easterly winds all the way down channel to Fowey and westerly winds all the way home. We had started motoring early morning across Lyme Bay on the leg from Brixham to Weymouth but by the time we were two thirds across it was blowing a stiff westerly F5, blasting us across the Portland Race 2½ miles south of the Bill then swinging us north east to avoid the Shambles, aiming to leave Portland breakwater to port. With the sun out, and the wind on our quarter, it was “champagne sailing” making around 8 knots through the water plus a knot or two of fair tide, giving a SOG of well over 10 knots. We had passed numerous lobster pots throughout the morning and especia...

The Watchkeepers of NCI Gosport come from many and various diferent backgrounds.   Unsurprisingly, given the population of Gosport, some come from the armed services, and others have long maritime experience.   Others bring skills honed in industrial or commercial arenas.   But some have seen and done things that the rest of us can only dream about…   as in this article sent in by a Watchkeeper who, for reasons of anonymity, we will call Captain ‘SJL’. Despite his grey hair and beard, he stands more watches that any other Watchkeeper and you may hear him on our VHF Channel 65 from time to time. In Command Of an Antarctic Supply Ship Submitted by Captain ‘SJL’, MBF RD RNR It was in November 1974 that I took over command of the RRS Bransfield, the British Antarctic Survey's (BAS) ice-strengthened logistics vessel supporting the 5 scientific research stations that BAS operated in the British Antarctic Territory. The RRS Bransfield, 4816 grt, 1577 nrt, l...