# Woof Woof



## Binnacle (Jul 22, 2005)

Extended periods at crowded anchorages seemed to produce unexplained animal like noises from VHF radios when tuned to local harbour frequency. Despite strenuous efforts by port authority they seemed to be unable to accurately determine and curb the source. The frequency of the occurence and maximum audio volume seemed to occur in the 2000-2400 hour period. Strangely enough in my experience it seemed to be more prevalent in countries where the sale and use of alcohol was prohibited and the use of the lash not uncommon. I was of the opinion it seemed to be an an affliction more prevelant among junior officers, however at times I suspected a stressed master may have used a devious excuse to send a junior on an errand below. Has there been any serious study of this phenomenon ? I was fortunate in my younger years spending over four months at anchor which later may have given me a degree of immunity.

Woof Woof.


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

we found it was usually noticed during the dog watch.


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

yeah.........ok chum hee hee


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## Alan Rae (Jan 11, 2008)

Anchored off Bombay,in a tanker,many years ago.Lots of ships waiting for berths with resultant boredom and frustration.VHF sqauked into life and we were told to pull up the pick and proceed to the pilot station and await a pilot.When we got there we were asked what we were doing and told to go back to anchor.Obviously the work of some moron who had been there for a while and got the local procedure off pat.It became the subject of a police investigation when a couple of ships had very close shaves.alan


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

In addition to long anchorages, this phenomenon was common round the Cape of Good Hope, presumeably homeward bound, stir-crazy tankermen.

In the dim dark Commie days of Lithuania, at anchor and incommunicado off Klaipeda for quite a while, I called up on the VHF and said: "There are 15 Trotskyite deviationists coming up our anchor chain -what should we do?" There was no reply but we did get a visit from a naval patrol boat which I like to claim credit for.

John T.


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## tunatownshipwreck (Nov 9, 2005)

trotterdotpom said:


> In addition to long anchorages, this phenomenon was common round the Cape of Good Hope, presumeably homeward bound, stir-crazy tankermen.
> 
> In the dim dark Commie days of Lithuania, at anchor and incommunicado off Klaipeda for quite a while, I called up on the VHF and said: "There are 15 Trotskyite deviationists coming up our anchor chain -what should we do?" There was no reply but we did get a visit from a naval patrol boat which I like to claim credit for.
> 
> John T.


I can picture their smiling faces.


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## JoK (Nov 12, 2006)

My God, 4 months at anchor.(EEK) 

My top time was 5 weeks.
There is an anchorage in NS, known to the oldtimers as Tea bag shoal. The ship anchored there for so long they ran out of teabags and most everything else.


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## M29 (Apr 20, 2007)

Some of you may remember the long anchorages in the Gulf back in the mid 70's. Stange radio conditions often gave VHF ranges of over 100 miles.
We had a spate of "Monty Python" on the VHF.
Some one would just say "Albatros"
Getting the enevitable reply "What flavour is it?"
or "Do you get wafers with it"
I was glad to get off the ship after only a couple of weeks, my replacement spent his enture next "voyage" in the various gulf port anchorages.
Some of the convoy of anchored ships were blacked out, having run out of stores fuel etc. Many had run out of beer and we went round a couple of our own company ships in the lifeboat to give them injections of Vitimin T.

Alan


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## pete (Mar 13, 2005)

Once did 106 days drifting off Nauru, I think the record was held by a Japanese ship at 110 days. Great Shark fishing though................pete


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## RayJordandpo (Feb 23, 2006)

At anchor off Abu Dhabi in the seventies.
A voice came on the VHF asking. "Are there any happy bears about? "For about ten minutes there was a spate of replies from many different vessels. "I'm a happy bear" "I'm a happy bear" "I'm a happy bear" and so on. After a while a very angry port control came on the radio ordering all ships to keep off channel 16 and stop abusing radio regulations. It all went very quiet for a few minutes then a quiet voice piped up "He's not a happy bear"


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