A Ship, a Swing Bridge, a Pilot and a Cattle Truck

Thanks to the Internet, we’ve all seen some pretty dramatic photos and videos of ships hitting each other, boats getting tossed through the surf onto beaches and general on the water crisis moments. But before the camera phone, bad things happened too. And, fortunately, there were some good records of it even if you have to read! Alert reader and outstanding skipper Steve Travis (Smoke) found the following written piece when going through some of his father’s old things. It wasn’t written by his father, and the connections to the piece are unknown, but Steve volunteered to share it with Sailish readers.

I think it’s OK to laugh. Apparently nobody was seriously hurt and it appears to have happened a long time ago (no date given). Maybe one of you readers knows something about this incident. Pacific Northwest?

I think the best way to read this is read a couple paragraphs, then close your eyes to see it in your mind’s eye. Then go along another couple graphs and repeat. The captain was writing to the ship’s owner, explaining exactly what happened and why he’ll be getting a few bills. In a few words this captain lays out the roles of the officers onboard, the pilot (way too funny) and the tugboat captain (also too funny).

Enjoy. I did.

Marine Casualty

A report sighted by Captain G.P. Byth

Dear Sir,

I write haste in order that you will get this report before you form your own preconceived opinions from reports in the world press, for I am sure that they will tend to 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, coming to the last part I told him to “let go.” The lad, although willing, is not too bright, necessitating my having to repeat the order in a sharper tone.

The Chief Officer overhearing from the Chart Room, and thinking that it was the anchor that were being referred to, repeated the “let go” to the Third Officer on the forecastle. The effect of letting the port anchor drop from the ‘pipe’ while the vessel was proceeding at full harbor speed proved too much for the windlass brake, and the entire length of the cable was pulled out ‘by the roots’. I fear that the damage to the chain locker may be extensive. The braking effect naturally caused the vessel to sheer in that direction right towards the swing bridge that spans a tributary to the river up which we were proceeding.

The swing bridge operator showed great presence of mind by opening the bridge for my vessel; unfortunately he did not think to stop the vehicular traffic. The result being that the bridge partly opened and deposited a Volkswagen, two cyclists and a cattle truck on the foredeck. In his efforts to stop the progress of the vessel the Third Officer dropped the starboard anchor, too late to be of practical use for it fell on the swing bridge operator’s control cabin.

Up to now I have confined my report to the activities at the forward end of my vessel, aft they were having their own problem. At the moment 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 onto the tug.

The sudden braking effect on the port anchor caused the tug to ‘run in under’ the stern of my vessel, just at the moment when the propeller was answering my double ring Full Astern The prompt action of the Second Officer in securing the inboard end of the towing spring delayed the sinking of the tug by some minutes – thereby allowing the safe abandoning of that vessel.

I never fails to amaze me, the actions and behavior of foreigners during moments of minor crisis. The pilot, for instance, is at this moment huddled in the corner of my day cabin, alternately crooning to himself and crying after have consumed a bottle of gin in a time that is worthy of inclusion in the Guiness Book of Records. The tug captain on the other hand reacted violently and had to be forcibly be restrained by the Steward who has him handcuffed in the ship’s hospital.

I enclose the names and addresses of the drivers and 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 for the damage that they did to the railings of number one hold.

I am closing this preliminary report for I am finding it difficult to concentrate with the sound of police sirens and their flashing lights. Had the apprentice realized that there is no need to fly pilot flags after dark, none of this would have happened.

I am Sir

Yours faithfully,

MASTER