[CW] SOS Prinsendam / PJTA

Sat, 4 Oct 2003 17:12:33 -0700

You know David, I just don't understand. In 1912 we had an idiot Captain,
who despite many warnings about icebergs, chose a route and speed that ended
up drowning over 1500 people and sending the Titanic to the bottom. In 1956
we have two ships, the Andrea Doria and the Stockholm,  that once again
despite ample warning and modern radar, are obviously commanded by what were
idiots because they collide killing some crew and sending the Andrea Doria
to the bottom.  Now you tell me that the Captain of the Prinsendam, which
had fire that had spread from the engine room to the dinning room, refused
to send an SOS. Let's see. This is a cruise ship full of tourist. It is in
the Gulf of Alaska, which has some of the most brutal weather and water on
the planet; and the Captain refused to send an SOS.

Tell me David how do these clowns get their Masters Tickets?

73
Patrick Lynd
AC6YD

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	[email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]  On Behalf
Of David J. Ring, Jr.
Sent:	Saturday, October 04, 2003 3:19 PM
To:	[email protected]
Subject:	[CW] SOS Prinsendam / PJTA

Twenty-three years ago in the Gulf of Alaska, the Prinsendam - Holland
America Line's "just the right size" passenger liner had a fatal fire and
the crew and passengers abandoned ship.

On the morning of the 5th of October, we had a sun rise - the likes of which
I've never seen since - wispy angelic puffy white clouds that almost defy
description.  I thought I was alone in this description until I spoke to the
3rd mate of the Prinsendam recently - he told me the story about the sun
rise - and from his view point there was one element that was invisible to
me.  Right along side the rising sun, was the VLCC tanker, "Williamsburgh" -
1300 feet LOA, 225 dwt of ship - answering their SOS - and only seen with
the new rays of the new day.

But there is more to the story that hasn't been told:

I have just received word that Chief Radio Officer, Jack van der Zee, of
Beek, Netherlands had died in 2001.

Since he is dead, I can now reveal "the rest of the story" about his SOS
from Holland-American Line "PRINSENDAM/PJTA" in 1980.

Capt. Vabaker refused to send an SOS - despite the CH/ENGR confirming that
he had no more CO2 gas to smother the fire in the ER.  Fire was quickly
spreading.  It was spreading through the main dining room - which of course
was on the upper decks.

This was insanity in CRO van der Zee's mind.

First he went to the SATPHONE, and dialed in the preceedance XXX on the
terminal and waited.  The operator in Washington (COMSAT) asked the ship's
location, and connected him to a Medical Hospital in Kodiak, Alaska.

COMSAT had "forgotten" that an XXX is any URGENT transmission on a ship -
not just a medical condition.

Frustrated by this, he went on 500 kHz and called XXX and was promptly
answered by USCG COMSTA Kodiak, AK who advised him that if his ship was
burning, he should send out an SOS with the autoalarm.

This Jack did.  Knowing that technically he was violating Radio Laws by
initiating on his own an SOS, he sent it.

As I have documented (elsewhere) over 350 ships answered this SOS - and it
was monitored by all the Alaskan Coast stations, all the Canadian Coast
Stations, and by KLB, Seattle, KFS San Francisco, and by KPH San Francisco.

Within minutes, Jack had lost mains power in the Radio Room.  He was on
battery 40 watt A2 (mcw) transmitter and battery receiver.  I asked him if I
could take over control of the SOS, he said yes, and I sent out an DDD SOS
DDD on 500 kHz preceeded by the autoalarm.

I called MAYDAY RELAY on 2182 kHz for Jack because he didn't have a two-tone
alarm - the ship had been exempted.  So had my ship.  NOJ answered me on
2182 - as did the GREATLAND/WFDP who had heard me RQ PJTA UP 2182 USB on 500
kHz.  I asked NOJ to send out a MAYDAY RELAY on 2182 kHz - only a small
fishing boat answered the distress - no one else.

Frantic calls from the Bridge VHF of the PRINSENDAM got no answers.

As the hours progressed, the ships headed towards the postition of the
ship - Coast Guard cutters were in communications with us on 500 kHz - and
they passed thousands of words of messages that originally came over their
radioteletype printers to us - VIA CW. I am indebted for the fine Radiomen
who served on the USCGC cutters that helped us.  They were fine operators -
sending 35 wpm stuff to us because the messages were so long - and using
non-military proceedure (allowing me to break for a fill) which simplified
and expedited traffic handling.  They were on the USCG Boutwell, Mellon, and
Woodrush.

By the next noontime, over 535 people had been plucked from their
lifeboats - and all hands were alive.

Jack had technically broken the law, but doing so, he saved 535 lives.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

About the year 1985, I wrote Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands requesting
that some sort of honor be given to Jack.  (I didn't know the "rest of the
story" then.  I got a shuffle.

Then in the year 2000, I contacted ex- Radio-Holland Radio Dirk "Dick"
Harms, PA2DWH (he has a new callsign, which I forget) and armed with a
transcript of my original SOS log from my ship, WILLIAMSBURGH/WGOA, a signed
copy of my handwritten SOS which was signed by James N. Pfister, CR/O on my
ship, Jack v.d. Zee CR/O of the Prinsendam and myself, a morse code
recording of the SOS as heard at USCG COMMSTA KODIAK/NOJ and a typed letter
from Dirk - a Dutchman - in the Formal Queen's Dutch.

The Queen agreed!  She wrote back!  She agreed to give Jack Dutch
Knighthood.  She sent a letter to the mayor of Beek where Jack lived.

Unfortunately, the mayor vetoed this because (in his words) "this honor is
not to be given for one good event, but for a lifetime of service."

A year later, Jack died.  He was aproximately 74 years of age.

So now you know - the rest of the story.

For more details see my web site - I have the recordings there, as well as
radio logs, and other documents.

Best Regards - 73

David J. Ring, Jr., N1EA
Radio Officer, "Williamsburgh" / WGOA
4-5 October 1980

http://www.qsl.net/n1ea

_______________________________________________
CW mailing list
[email protected]
http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/cw