Party and Booze
on Navigational Safety Watch:
on Navigational Safety Watch:
Maritime Memoirs and Life Lessons
I was a third officer on board a vessel navigating from Manila to Japan. We had lots and lots of beer cargo in the old ship’s holds. I went to the bridge 15 minutes before my time of duty at 12 o’clock midnight. I had to accustom my eyes in darkness. There was a beam of light from a light house, right ahead. The smell of beer was on the air. Every one was talking. Then I observed that the second mate that I was about to relieve, together with the steersman and the safety navigational watch on duty, were having fun. Each had a bottle of beer drunk straight from the lid. There were two boxes of beer on one side of the navigation room. Never mind, I told myself. But what is that light house doing right in front of our ship? I went to the chart room to verify the previous ship’s fix position and the ship’s speed. Then, using the gyrocompass and the radar range marker, I took our ship’s fix position at 11:48, 11:50, and 11:52 before my time.
“Sec, wala ka sa rombo. Isang oras pa at bangga na tayo riyan sa light house na iyan. Ayusin mo muna bago ako gumardiya sa time ko.” (Second Mate, you are out of the planned course. In an hour's time, we will be colliding with that light house).”
Immediately he took his position and changes his course 90° to the right.
In another incident, I told the second officer that the compass correction he wrote on the bridge board was wrong. Immediately, everybody was already debating with me. The ship master came to the bridge and listened. Then he told every body that I was correct.
Then, I was persecuted and eventually ostracized. I had to leave the ship.
In another vessel, a chief officer from a Philippine inter-island vessel wasn’t able to fix his position from a light house. It took him 4 o’clock until sunrise. But the light house turn out to be a submarine on the surface navigating with the same speed as we were.
Sometime ago, a fellow instructor in a maritime school tried to convince me that someone wanted to borrow my 2nd Mate’s license. He would pay me a monthly fee. I said, “ano? Papano ako kung palubugin niya ang barko?” From then on, he was so snobbish.
In the seamen’s gathering places in Manila, such as the one near National Library, the you will hear incidents like masters and officers are drinking and/or gambling in any of the crew’s cabin, “having wine women and song” like what “Captain” Andal has done prior to the sinking of his ship.
There are lots more, Mr. Senator. What can laymen/women do, even some coast guard personnel, in the senate hearing? There ought to be some composite personnel from the maritime profession, etc., to assist you. The job is too technical even for the Marina personnel.
How many lives more must be claimed by maritime ignorance?
I am going to discussed about terrestrial navigation and/or the Rules of the Road in the highways of the sea next time. So long. See you again.
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