[CW] XXX and SOS from ms PRINSENDAM / PJTA October 4, 1980

[D.J.J. Ring, Jr.]

Chief Radio Officer Jack van der Zee told me that the Captain of
PRINSENDAM only wanted to send an URGENT broadcast for his burning
ship, ms PRINSENDAM, but Jack feeling the heat on the bottom of his
shoes, knew the only way to get help was to send the auto alarm at
this time when all the cargo ships were off radio watch. I understand
that the USCG advised him that he should send an SOS.  Jack told me
the  Captain didn't want an SOS and that Jack just sent the same
message as the XXX (Urgent Broadcast) but put SOS as the precedence.
He told me he was very worried about what he did because he said he
could go to jail for it, but I told him no judge would jail him
because what he did and at the time he did (weather got worse as time
went by), he was instrumental in rescuing all 535 passengers and crew
from the luxury liner burning out of control in the Gulf  of Alaska.

Dutch Board of Inquiry in English Translation - page 17.
https://archive.org/download/SosMsPrinsendamOctober41980/1980-10-04_Dutch_Board_of_Inquiry_PRINSENDAM.pdf

Notice this clearly states that "At 01h55 (time on board) the radio
officer received the order to broadcast an XXX message. This was
registered at several coastal stations at 02h00." However the document
goes to the passive voice and continues with: "At 02h20 the SOS was
received and a large number of ships responded. Then the SOS was
repeated by telex and this too was received in good order at 02h29.
The document does not say who sent the SOS, it does not say the "radio
officer received the order to broadcast an SOS." It just says in the
passive voice that the SOS was received and a large number of ships
responded. (Including my ship.) This also supports what Jack van der
Zee told me because it avoids saying that the SOS was ordered by the
Master of Prinsendam. The USCG could order a USA ship to send an SOS
but it cannot do this with a foreign Netherlands Antilles registered
ship in International waters. It is my understanding that when Jack
v.d. Zee sent the XXX NOJ Kodiak suggested he upgrade the XXX to SOS
because he could not legally send the auto alarm to wake up the
sleeping radio officers without it being an SOS. Jack v.d. Zee told me
he did this on his own account. Nothing in this document contradicts
this but it also doesn't confirm it. It just skips over this fact.
Unfortunately I do not have his affidavit of the two radio officers
and the affidavit of the Captain of the ship as they weren't available
in translation (original is in Dutch.)

Here's what I do have.

1980-10-04

PACSARCOORD_CHRONO_NARRITIVE_LOG
Showing TANGO Time Zone (ZD+7) Urgent Broadcast from PRINSENDAM (XXX)
is logged at 0201T (ZD+7) and SOS sent at 0220L (ZD+7). WILLIAMSBURGH
was keeping ZD+9 time and logged SOS at 0020 ZD+9. WILLIAMSBURGH Radio
Log is GMT shows 0918Z for start of SOS. XXX was not logged by
WILLIAMSBURGH because no one was on watch (R/O was sleeping as it was
past midnight.) All the times state the same thing and confirm. XXX at
0901Z and SOS twenty minutes later at 0920Z. Contrary to other
representations, there was an URGENT (XXX) broadcast from Prinsendam
before it was upgraded to DISTRESS (SOS) but the message itself was
identical in each case. CR/O Jack van der Zee told me he changed the
precedence from XXX to SOS and was fearful he would go to prison for
this. I tried to get him an award for having the courage to accept the
consequences but do the right thing. The facts show an XXX indeed was
sent with the same text as the later SOS. I believe the affidavits
submitted to the Dutch Board of Inquiry states that only two SOS
transmissions were made, if that is so, those two affidavits are false
as they do not disclose the XXX made at approximately 0901Z. I do not
have a copy of the two affidavits, I understand that they are in Dutch
only and not available in translation. USCG documents show both the
XXX and SOS and I believe lend credence to the statements of CRO van
der Zee about what he did. No one says they are afraid of going to
prison when nothing happened that was questionable. Jack did the right
thing, it is widely granted that if the SOS was delayed there would be
loss of life. Jack van der Zee was instrumental in saving many lives.

USCG COMMSTA SANFRANCISCO NMC INTERCEPT OF ms PRINSENDAM/PJTA XXX
which was sent prior to their SOS.
https://archive.org/download/SosMsPrinsendamOctober41980/1980-10-04_USCG_COMMSTA_SANFRANCISCO_XXX_INTERCEPT.pdf

Deck Log Book of TT WILLIAMSBURGH/WGOA October 4, 1980 - my ship.
https://ia800604.us.archive.org/30/items/SosMsPrinsendamOctober41980/1980-01-04_williamsburgh_deck_logbook.pdf

My log book:
https://ia800604.us.archive.org/30/items/SosMsPrinsendamOctober41980/williamsburgh_prinsendam_log.pdf

73
David N1EA