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

[John Barnwell]

I’m going to read through much of this material and reacquaint myself with this. For me, it is fascinating when all the rapid coordination works as it did this day.

Say, do you remember the SS Poet? I took an amver from her via NMR not long before she vanished. She was a regular customer of course.

JB

> On Jul 13, 2020, at 10:28 PM, D.J.J. Ring, Jr. <n1ea at arrl.net> wrote:
> 
> Too many to count!  According to FCC Washington, DC over 350 ship radio logbooks were received.
> 
> OCEAN STATION PAPA which was a Canadian Coast Guard Cutter on station, hauled anchor to proceed to the scene.
> 
> SOHIO INTREPID, WILLIAMSBURGH, were on scene, GREATLAND, EXXON NEW ORLEANS and many foreign ships responded to PRINSENDAM's SOS and my three DDDSOSDDD (MAYDAY RELAY) after I took over control of the SOS communications for the next 17 hours.
> 
> Radio stations, in obedience to radio regulations stopped all transmissions on 500 kHz (except Seattle Radio/KLB who had an urgent message for my ship (WILLIAMSBURGH/WGOA) and sent it directly on 500 kHz, which is the only time I've ever received paid traffic on 500 kHz.
> 
> My original hand written log book during the SOS:
> https://archive.org/download/SosMsPrinsendamOctober41980/williamsburgh_prinsendam_log_text.pdf <https://archive.org/download/SosMsPrinsendamOctober41980/williamsburgh_prinsendam_log_text.pdf>
> 
> Here's my ship's Deck log book:
> https://archive.org/download/SosMsPrinsendamOctober41980/1980-01-04_williamsburgh_deck_logbook_text.pdf <https://archive.org/download/SosMsPrinsendamOctober41980/1980-01-04_williamsburgh_deck_logbook_text.pdf>
> 
> Pacific Search And Rescue Coordinator Log: 
> https://archive.org/download/SosMsPrinsendamOctober41980/1980-10-04_PACSARCOORD_CHRONO_NARRITIVE_LOG_text.pdf <https://archive.org/download/SosMsPrinsendamOctober41980/1980-10-04_PACSARCOORD_CHRONO_NARRITIVE_LOG_text.pdf>
> 
> USCG Commandant's Bulletin of Nov. 24, 1980: https://archive.org/download/SosMsPrinsendamOctober41980/19801124_uscg_commandants_bulletin_text.pdf <https://archive.org/download/SosMsPrinsendamOctober41980/19801124_uscg_commandants_bulletin_text.pdf>
> 
> SOS Radio Logbook of EXXON NEW ORLEANS/WNDM (Radio Officer Richard Singer, K6KSG)
> https://archive.org/download/SosMsPrinsendamOctober41980/WNDM_SOS_LOG_text.pdf <https://archive.org/download/SosMsPrinsendamOctober41980/WNDM_SOS_LOG_text.pdf>
> 
> I cannot the number of ships they responded!
> 
> 73
> 
> DR
> 
> 
> 
> On Tue, Jul 14, 2020, 00:55 John Barnwell <radioniner at yahoo.com <mailto:radioniner at yahoo.com>> wrote:
> Besides NOJ, what was the response you received on 500 from other merchants….any vessels in your vicinity and did anyone divert to assist?
> 
> John
> 
>> On Jul 13, 2020, at 9:49 PM, D.J.J. Ring, Jr. <n1ea at arrl.net <mailto:n1ea at arrl.net>> wrote:
>> 
>> 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/SosMsPrinsendamOctober41980>
>> https://archive.org/details/MsPrinsendamSosDistressOct.41980_292 <https://archive.org/details/MsPrinsendamSosDistressOct.41980_292>
>> https://archive.org/details/prinsendam_gilmore <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 <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 <http://qsl.net/n1ea/WorldRadio_N1EA_Prinsendam_SOS.pdf>
>> 
>> 73
>> 
>> DR 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
> 

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