Navy: Man Overboard
Story Told by RAM to JAMM on the Dock in front of 15 Winter Lane August 27, 2020
In 1955, I was released from active duty to complete my obligation on active duty in the Naval Reserve. I think I was subject to recall for another nine years in the Naval Reserve. My required subject to active duty recall was five years; I stayed longer than that. Each year I would go in for training for a couple weeks. Several of us who were in the reserves would be on the boat together for this annual two week obligation.
We would practice drills. One drill was the “man overboard.” I was on the bridge giving commands to the helmsman. In this drill, the commands depended upon the side the man went overboard. If he went to the starboard side, the cry would come, “Man overboard starboard.” Then I’d say, “Right full rudder,” to the helmsman and “All engines ahead full,” to the person on the throttle (and on my ship we really had throttles). Both were in the wheelhouse. The wheelhouse was directly below the bridge (the bridge was an open bridge unless we were in the tropics – in that case, we’d have canvas overhead so we didn’t burn our brains out.) I would give the commands through a tube that went between the bridge and the wheelhouse. Then after the ship had swung 60 degrees to starboard (I’d add 60 degrees to the course in my head), I’d tell the helmsman to “shift your rudder” and then “Steady up to 1-2-0” (120 degrees) until you are going on the recriprocal course. If the helmsman knew what he was doing, he’d turn the boat to port by 60+180 degrees, which aligns to a 120 degree course. This brings the ship back on a reciprocal course (which is half a revolution from the original course.) Then I would slow the ship and stop it so that the ship would presumably stop with the man overboard close to the side of the ship.
I remember doing this on a two week training cruise after I had been released from active duty. We used lifejackets in the water instead of people. We had modified the course and speed; the ship stopped and there was the life preserver. I think my skills were developed here in the Kawanhee Sailing Department.
For example, if your original course is 3-0-0, you’d turn right until your course was set at 0-0-0 deg. Then you’d “shift the rudder” and “steady up on 1-2-0” (which means turn left until your bearing is 120 degrees) and then you’d adjust speed and direction when you have the man overboard in sight. When you turn to the LEFT to 120 degrees that’s a total left turn of 240 degrees; when you are actually doing it, it doesn’t seem like that much. This is called the Williamson Turn.
This was the one thing I enjoyed in the Navy. I enjoyed shiphandling which was having the conn of direction and speed of the ship, subject to the orders of the commanding officer or whomever was in charge of the fleet. It was fun like driving a car. Here you’ve got this vessel – I can’t remember dimensions, likely 135 tons, 165 feet -- and you’re controlling it.
I knew the military was an obligation by law that I had to fulfill. I volunteered for the Navy OCS (officer candidate school) to avoid being drafted. Advantages of this route: First, I wasn’t going into the army to be shot at; second, I had better accommodations; third, despite the added obligation in time served (1 year and 4 months more). A further advantage of serving is the GI bill.
Now, the technology we had seems quite antiquated. We had radio men who typed as they listened to dits and dahs (Morse Code). Radar was good but primitive. Sonar was absolutely primitive.
I was in the Navy for 3 years and 4 months.
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