Rum Ration
the Navy Network

Originally Posted by Bergen

ANTARES

PESCADO

GAUL?

http://www.mediaworldnews.co.uk/cats.php?id=1

Only thing I'll say is GAUL + BARENTS SEA + 1970's + COLD WAR + BOATS SNEAKING ALL OVER THE F***ING PLACE = Mystery

Originally Posted by BillyNoMates

Originally Posted by Bergen

ANTARES

PESCADO

GAUL?

http://www.mediaworldnews.co.uk/cats.php?id=1

Only thing I'll say is GAUL + BARENTS SEA + 1970's + COLD WAR + BOATS SNEAKING ALL OVER THE F***ING PLACE = Mystery

The thing is that she was on passage to northern fishing grounds,she was defo not fishing as the weather was far to bad to even think about getting them nets out,i have an open mind about what happened to this trawler and i reckon it will be a long time if we ever find out the truth,

There seems to be a few into conspiracy theories here. As to Uncle_Ho's post, since the Antares incident, officers on Perisher (Command qualifying course) spend some time with fishing boats at sea so both sides get an insight into each others working practices.

Thanks to Bergen. I guess I was trying to think logically not hoisting in the fact that lots of fishing boats plying their trade are purely interested in fishing and thus making money and will cut corners wherever possible (or at lease their owners will). I've boarded lots of fishing boats in my time in the Fishery Protection Squadron and seen some highly experienced, professional sailors - and some highly inexperienced, lazy and down right dangerous versions too! As an officer of the watch I used to call them the 'Taxi drivers of the sea'; rules were meant for 'others'. (I bet there are now scores of RR members who are taxi drivers and will take offence!)

As for the Gaul; my own 'conspiracy theory' is that that boat should never have been where it was in that weather. Add-in the fact that the sinking occured over Christmas (as I recall) plus my own turgid view of some fishermen, and I came up with my theory that the crew were probably laid up down below, bored, possibly pissed and had not properly shut down hatches and doors. They wouldn't have been anyone on watch other than whoever was on the bridge (if indeed anyone) and thus the time available to shut down the ship before a massive ingress of 'oggin toppled her over would have been negligble. Sad, tragic but probably preventable. But, it's only a theory............

Thanks to B-N-M for his last post. Maybe I was a bit too flippant in my own previous post as I had not made any effort to look for, or study any reports on the incident. The pain is probably still raw for the families of the dead and my comments were thus inappropriate. Sad, tragic and perhaps preventable but for other reasons than I first muted.

Originally Posted by OldSparker

Thanks to B-N-M for his last post. Maybe I was a bit too flippant in my own previous post as I had not made any effort to look for, or study any reports on the incident. The pain is probably still raw for the families of the dead and my comments were thus inappropriate. Sad, tragic and perhaps preventable but for other reasons than I first muted.

Smally question OldSparks..........Coco Pops...........I believe I know
what that little two worder is all about!!

Originally Posted by OldSparker

Thanks to Bergen. I guess I was trying to think logically not hoisting in the fact that lots of fishing boats plying their trade are purely interested in fishing and thus making money and will cut corners wherever possible (or at lease their owners will). I've boarded lots of fishing boats in my time in the Fishery Protection Squadron and seen some highly experienced, professional sailors - and some highly inexperienced, lazy and down right dangerous versions too! As an officer of the watch I used to call them the 'Taxi drivers of the sea'; rules were meant for 'others'. (I bet there are now scores of RR members who are taxi drivers and will take offence!)

As for the Gaul; my own 'conspiracy theory' is that that boat should never have been where it was in that weather. Add-in the fact that the sinking occured over Christmas (as I recall) plus my own turgid view of some fishermen, and I came up with my theory that the crew were probably laid up down below, bored, possibly pissed and had not properly shut down hatches and doors. They wouldn't have been anyone on watch other than whoever was on the bridge (if indeed anyone) and thus the time available to shut down the ship before a massive ingress of 'oggin toppled her over would have been negligble. Sad, tragic but probably preventable. But, it's only a theory............

It's not just fishing-boats; August 15th is fast approaching and I will have a quiet drink in memory of 4 good friends who were trapped in a saturation diving system onboard the DB29 in the South China Sea in '91. They were caught in a typhoon and as the vessel slowly took on water and began to list they had time to write letters back to loved ones before the vessel rolled.

Their letters, passports and final wills were put into plastic bags and another mate of mine who was an ex-RN Clearance Diver taped them to his chest, pulled his life-jacket on, said his goodbyes and stepped out into the oggin. He was rescued 13 hours later by RAF SAR out of Hong Kong.

Actually I will get rat-arsed as I have done every year since.....

RM