by andy flewker

Created on: January 01, 2009   Last Updated: April 19, 2009

This story nearly cost a few lives, because somebody thought going to sea was easy.The summer of 1976 I worked the cross channel ferries to and from of theports on the south coast, Weymouth to the Channel Islands (jersey and Guernsey). The trip would take about fourteen hours, first calling at Guernsey some passenger would disembark but mostly they had caught the early morning ship from Jersey for a day trip and then return to jersey later that evening at 8pm. We sailed at 9pm always full with at least eight hundred people aboard enough to keep us chefs busy in the kitchen for a few hours depending on the weather. The crossing to the islands was not to rough at all but now on our return it started to increase in severity as we approached Guernsey. (Not stopping on our return was normal) We had finished in the galley (kitchen) for the evening and I was in the mess room watching television ,when one of the officers phoned from the bridge to inform us that we were ten miles or less from the scene where a distress flare has been fired and we (the ship) are going to investigate. It's dark, and windy, and because we have either stopped or slowed right down the ship is rolling from port to starboard. All the crew are assembled on the main deck, with our life jackets on and it has been decided that although it is risky, a lifeboat will have to be launched to get these people off before their little boat sinks underneath them.

Lowering a lifeboat can be tricky at any time, unless you are in calm waters (like a harbour). As the boat is lowered they are still connected by a pulley/cable (one at each end of the boat) which takes the weight until released. To release this hook you have to have enough slack in the cable to push down and remove the hook from the eye in the boat , you would have to judge very quickly the movement of the boat as it bobs about by the ships side and get it clear but not letting it go straight away because a big wood block above the hook pulley cable could knock one out unconscious, it would be passed between the seaman to let go, having successfully completed this task (driven by its little petrol engine) the boat pulls away from the ships side and heads across to the distressed boat .and after several attempts at throwing a line to the stricken occupants of the boat they are successful.

Onboard we are having our own problems, we had to clear the boat deck of all the passengers who want to get involved, and take photos off the drama, and demand

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