Topic starter
07/05/2008 11:32 am
All this talk about at anchor shapes reminds me of a conference with the Officer in Charge - Marine Inspection that Captain Bob Lumpp and I attended. We were discussing drawings of the River Queen. The commander asked, "What about the out-of-control shapes?"
Captain Lumpp responded, "I've been on the river for more than twenty five years and I've never seen or heard of them. What are they?"
The commander told us they were two black balls that, when displayed, show the vessel is out of control.
Captain Lumpp asked, "Where am I supposed to keep them?"
The commander's answer floored us. "Oh, in the wharfboat or anywhere."
Alone after the meeting we doubled up in laughter!
07/05/2008 3:32 pm
I know that from Baton Rouge south to the Passes, the Red and White (Pilot on Board) flag qualifies for Out of Control shapes signal. At least that's what one pilot told me.:-)
07/05/2008 5:46 pm
Two black balls in a vertical line indicate vessel NOT UNDER COMMAND. This means due to failure of steering or any other machinery malfunction the vessel is restricted in her handling ability that others must stay clear of her. The code flag Hotel does not an any way substitute for this day shape according to Rules of the Road. At night this vessel would indicate the same problem by showing two red lights in a vertical line and the saying for remembering this is, Red over Red, Captain's dead. The code flag H only indicates that there is a First Class Pilot aboard the vessel advising the bridge crew in American waters.
07/05/2008 6:37 pm
Huh ? Really !! I'm sure you know more about it than myself. Thanks for clearing me up on this matter.
Topic starter
07/05/2008 7:57 pm
Jim, the shapes you describe are the ones the commander wanted. They were to be black balls, not less than 2 feet in diameter, suspended one above the other not less than three feet nor more than six feet apart in daylight or two red lights spaced as above at night. They were never made nor displayed. After a good laugh we forgot about the whole idea.
13/05/2008 9:50 pm
LOL. We don't get to see many of those shapes and lights around these waters. I was sitting at the Southport Raw Bar in Fort Lauderdale eating some cajun shrimp and washing it down with some Shiner Bock about dusk last January when a boat came down the fairway displaying White over Red.
Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather. "Uh, hmm, Gosh, looka there! You see that? That Pilot boat?" LOL