PERSONAL NOTES FROM CLASSMATES

Whenever classmates get together there are sure to be wonderful stories exchanged about our service experiences, our eccentric shipmates, and the quaint and colorful costumes we were called upon to wear. I'm not referring to self serving aggrandizement about inventing the Internet, but rather the Sea Stories that we all love to tell and we all love to hear. It would be a shame if all those true tall tales were lost. They added a richness to our lives over the years and will be a great legacy for our class. How else will our children and children's children come to appreciate their heritage? If you have a favorite tale, please share it with your classmates...with the emphasis on nostalgia, humor, and even outlandishness."

In conformity with the suggestion of Ajax Deex,here is my interesting experience.

During June and July of 1957 I was in the VAW-12 detachment embarked in Saratoga (CVA- 60) with Carrier Air Group 3 while engaged in fleet exercises preparatory to the Northern Europe Strikeback exercise.Part of the day's exercise involved trying to intercept a surface raider represented by Northhampton, flagship of the OTC, our former commandant,known irreverently to us as Pirie Barbarossa from the whiskers that protected his facial skin. One afternoon I was turning back toward home plate for my scheduled recovery when Iwas directed to go several milesout of fthe way to investigate visually a contact suspected of being the raider. Dutifully I chugged off and observed an innocent merchantman. On my way home I noticed that I had less fuel than I expected to need. I squeezed my pucker string, and the rpm and mixture for maximum endurance and flew steadily on, reporting my low state. Upon arrival I was given an immediate Charlie and entered the pattern. Fortunately I made one of the best Roger passes of my life, practically on rails, and caught a good wire. The plane director signaled me to raise the hook and fold my wings, and directed me forward. The next one taxied me all the way to the bow, propellor practically over the water. He signalled to chock me and gave the cut engine signal. As I reached for the mixture to pull it back to idle cutoff,the propellor ever so quietly stopped turning, Ever thereafter my unvarying response to "Can you extend?" was "Negative! LowState!"

Departed Île Royale, French Guiana on Mothers Day after hauling 100 feet of chain and the anchor by hand. (Edythe forgot how to turn the windlass on and due to it not being activated it had no power.) Not a good beginning but the start of an exhausting - to say it bluntly - week.

That evening, May 10th, Celerity experienced an engine failure. Suspecting contaminated fuel Dick immediately commenced steering by hand since he knew that we didn'ave enough battery power to run the autopilot. (He was hopeful that he could keep the main GPS unit operating by turning everything off and not have to rely on the handheld GPS unit.)

Five days later we crossed our '94 outgoing track near Man-of-War-Bay, Tobago. Didn't stop, as we knew that there wasn't any help for us there. Continued hand steering the last 83Nm to Grenada. GPS operated until 4.3Nm from Prickley Bay our Grenada destination. Contacted the local Coast Guard requesting a tow. Were towed just inside the bay, but it was our lucky day. Joe Welch on S/V Watercolor heard our Coast Guard call and came to our rescue. He offered to make arrangements for Celerity to be towed into Prickley Bay Marina. Soon three men in their respective dinghies were at our side and within minutes Celerity's bow was attached to a buoy and her stern to the side of the fuel dock where we are still located.

Saturday, being a weekend, we had to wait until Monday before Racardo who would pump out our dirty diesel could be contacted. But that was OK...we were tired and needed some rest and a shower.

Monday we cleared into Grenada and the various people were contacted that could help us. Wednesday Celerity's tank was cleaned and Thursday the local mechanic changed the two fuel filters but the recently charged starting battery wouldn't start the engine. (Celerity's engine is always extremely hard to start after a fuel filter change.) Friday with a newly charged starting battery and after 2 hours of work Matt got the engine to operate. Thank goodness now we have a clean tank, new fuel, a running engine, and once again battery power in order to operate the cooler and the radio.

Still plan on sailing to Trinidad, probably next week. Grenada is within the hurricane box so we don't want to leave Celerity here, as our insurance will not cover her in these waters. Plan to put the yacht on the 'hard' in order to dry out and begin the work on the repair list, like replacing the broken sink peacock. (Our repair list is LONG as you can imagine...but nothing is serious.

It will be a fourteen-week passage from Walvis Bay to Trinidad, but we are taking our time and have stopped at some very interesting islands. Our once filled V-berth storage and tinned goods locker are almost empty of food. But we had ample; we are not going hungry.

Grenada at this time of the year is hot and humid; reminding us of the sticky weather in Malaysia that Edythe didn't like. Expect to return to the States mid June.