# Anco Soverign



## rickzek (Aug 28, 2005)

Another tale of near diaster.
After the fire on the Soverign she laidup for a week or two in Trinidad then set off for Curasao for repairs. Limped into Willemstad took on the pilot and headed at slow speed to the drydock quay . I was at the wheel with a very 
nervous cadet on the telegraph. On the starboarb bridge wing was everybody
and the ships cat if we had one. The poor cadet was having a hard time 
hearing the instructions that were being shouted at him. I myself could not hear the helm orders due to the fact those on the wing where more interested 
with looking over the side and where the the ship was to be berthed.
No problem you might think except that the cadet and i could see the dry dock gates dead ahead getting closer. Wheel midships slow astern phew that 
was close ,stop engine pause slow ahead the cadet looked at me i shrugged
as those on the wing had not come back into the wheel house i could see those in the dry dock looking up as we got closer and closer. Then at last 
pannic on the wing full astern , bit late this is going to hurt ,brace yourself
then bang into the dock gates. Poor cadet got a dressing down for some thing
that was not his fault any faster and we would have been in the dry 
dock. Fate smiled yet again abit of a dent in thev bulbus bow some dirty 
under wear and very thankful dock workers we lived to sail another day.
Rickzek.


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