[CW] PRINSENDAM Was: Coast Guard Radsta Westport, Washington...NMW

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

>
> The Prinsendam was one of, if not the greatest success stories in modern
>> maritime history. If I recall correctly, no casualties….everyone survived.
>> Lots of elderly folks onboard, and lifeboats lowered into a pretty
>> significant sea state…..15 to 20ft seas?
>
>
No casualties, everyone rescued from lifeboats, 90% over 70 years of age.
Crew was much younger. Sea state was mild at first, increasing to 15-20 ft.
seas by evening, thank God USCGC BOUTWELL, USCG MELLON and USCG WOODRUSH
were able to arrive as early as they did and that Canadian Armed Forces
were able to supply a extra long range helicopter, U.S. Air Force was able
to supply two Rescue Swimmers (a rating USCG initiated because they saw the
need because of this rescue,) and a flight surgeon from Elmendorf Air Force
Base, Anchorage, AK, a USCG Radioman who was assigned to USCG Search and
Rescue, (SAR Anchorage,) who had both the skills and presence of mind to
tune in 500 kHz directly on the SAR's receiver, copying directly what was
to come delayed by USCG secure teleprinter circuits from OJ COMMSTA Kodiak,
AK (NOJ.)

More info recordings, distress logs, news and Air Force videos:

https://archive.org/details/SosMsPrinsendamOctober41980
https://archive.org/details/MsPrinsendamSosDistressOct.41980_292
https://archive.org/details/prinsendam_gilmore

Explore the files sections, many PDF files there.

Also - something I've never known about until moments ago is this Rewind
Podcast about 1980 in which the USCG Radioman who copied the SOS at USCG
COMMSTA KODIAK/NOJ, Maggie Wall of Kodiak's Leghead tells us a story about
an exciting US Coast Guard rescue of the Princedam. The story starts at 1h
01m from the beginning.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-10-1980/id1132349406?i=1000378550097

And a World Radio Article by Randall Noon, KCØCCR who worked me on CW and
found out about the SOS and decided to write an article about it:
http://qsl.net/n1ea/WorldRadio_N1EA_Prinsendam_SOS.pdf

73

DR
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/cw/attachments/20200714/1a926f72/attachment.html>