RECOLLECTIONS

Hoyt Watson 1995

“FLANK SPEED ?”

An early demoralizing experience took place when we escorted the first HORNET on her builder’s speed trials, with the old four piper NOA as the other escort. As we approached thirty knots, Hornet and NOA steamed by and disappeared ahead over the horizon. So much weight had been added to our original specs that our intended thirty – five knots was but a gleam in the designer’s eye.

***************

SUPERSUDS

Just before one trip north we received a batch of wonderful dark blue heavy turtle-neck sweaters from the Red Cross. Fortunately there was one big enough to fit Moose Butler’s ample proportions. After breaking it in rather thoroughly , he decided unwisely to send it to the ship’s laundry, which had just been taken over by Steve Jasick. Steve had a few problems mastering the laundry equipment, and for quite a while no one got back any clean laundry. The was an ever-increasing pile of laundry bags on deck outside the laundry which suddenly completely disappeared one night, over the side? But that wasn’t the end of Moose’s sweater, which was spared a trip over the rail. Some months later, during a yard period the laundry equipment was overhauled , and out of a corner of the dryer drum came Moose'’ sweater, one inch thick, six inches tall and eight inches wide!

****************

STRIP TEASE

One day we were mooring alongside a ship we were trying to impress. Everything was going smartly according to plan, and just in case an extra fender might be needed, CBM Spence had in of those cane ball fenders. Sure enough, it was needed, and he tossed it over the side and took a couple of turns around the lifeline to help hold it. Now this happened to be a warm day, and he happened to have liberated one of his shirttails, which lodged inside one turn of the fender line. When the fender started rolling between the two ships he was forced go give some slack, and proceeded very slowly but unrelentingly to peel his shirt right off, much to the amusement of all hands on both ships.