Crews Letter #2004 08   Transiting Ships Maximum Beware

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Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

“Life is a reach and then you jibe.”                                                          An “extreme sport” is one in which one mistake can kill you.

 

VA71 282330 UTC JUN 04 COASTAL WARNING NR. 512 JUN27 2004 (UPDATE) SOUTH JONIAN SEA – FOR RESCUE OF MAN OVER BOARD IS ACTIVATED SEARCH AREA: A) 39 49 N – 18 24 E B) 39 51 N – 18 50 E C) 39 31 N – 18 24 E D) 39 33 N – 18 50 E IN ACCORDANCE WITH COMPAMARE BARI MSG NR.18866 DATED 27 JUN 2004 TRANSITING SHIPS MAXIMUM BEWARE.

 

This season Perception got herself a NAVTEX.  It is a radio receiver that monitors only two frequencies and remembers whatever it can hear.  Usually this is regional weather forecasts and navigational warnings.

Last night there were weather forecasts for the Adriatic, construction warnings indicating where navigation is prohibited, an underwater ordinance exercise in the Baltic, Swedish Naval Exercises in the Baltic requesting a wide berth, <YOU BET! Good Buddy.>, Polish Naval Exercises indicating a zone that is closed to navigation in the Baltic, a Baltic Sea Gale warning, several Italian Firing Range warnings in the Adriatic, a fridge adrift in the Mediterranean near Sicily, and the Man Over Board message above.

 

One doesn’t usually think of sailing as an extreme sport.  It isn’t, because there are a lot of mistakes that you can make that won’t kill you.  There are a few that will.

 

Jibe ho,

Phyl & Fred

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