Is there any red Port left in the bottle?
Starboard stand-on, Port Piss off
If to Starboard red appear, tis your duty to keep clear
I am four weeks into my Boatmasters course (thank you Wellington Coastguard!) and I have ridiculous rhymes and sayings coming out of my ears.
If you see a marker with two black circles on top of each other its a Balls Up to go near it
If someone honks at you five times it mean’s you’ve done something stupid
Having done the Day Skipper course beforehand really helped because it everything wasn’t entirely alien – but there is still so much to remember!
Red lights mean one thing, green and white ones another but unfortunately ‘if it’s lit up light a Christmas tree, keep out of its way’ is not an accepted answer.
I am aware all of this is important – particularly at night and when things are being towed – but I’m a little dubious about the value of some of the information I am memorising. For example – I do wonder when I will use my newfound knowledge on how to identify a vessel engaged in mine clearance duties.
If Paddy and I end up seeing one of those we’d have to be seriously lost!
Next week we get stuck into the navigation side of things. I’ve got everything I need – chart, protractor, dividers – except for a sense of direction, so wish me luck!
you think its confusing these days, it used to be starboard and larboard, try rhyming cuplets with that!!!
xx
Oh Lordy! Why would they even DO that? I can imagine it was the cause of a few prangs;
Captain: Hard to Starboard!
Sailor 1: Did he say Starboard or Larboard?
Sailor 2: I dunno…hey look, an iceberg!