NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
From: Rommel John Miller
Date: 2015 Sep 30, 19:34 -0400
I was stationed aboard the USS Holland (AS-32) forward deployed at Holy Loch Scotland, ibn 1979, my last cruise aboard her to the south of England for liberty we spotted an x-ray-tango off the starboard forward quarter, it was a life raft that had drifted since the race not retrieved and unmanned (abandoned) some days before.
The fear was that we were doing a recovery (of human remains) but it turned out that this was the type of self-inflating life raft with enclosed shell that deploys upon hitting the water. Relatively high tech in the 1970’s aboard pleasure craft.
We dispatched divers to survey the object and they reported back that the raft was empty. We then brought it aboard and radioed the RN of the incident and contact.
The Crew of the Holland received the Navy’s Humanitarian Award for this action. It is a medal and ribbon and citation.
I was a QM on duty that day and during the general quarters response to the object.
Apart from the anti-nuke protesters who came to Holy Loch to protest and throw objects at the ship and sailors, this was the most excitement I could have asked for during my time in the Navy.
It did however put the Fastnet disaster into perspective. The loss of life far outweighed the loss of boat or equipment.
We were also commended by the Royal Life Saving Service for the action of humanitarian aid. For if we had found a survivor we would have taken him or her aboard and treated them in our sick bay and then arrange to have the person medivaced to the nearest and best well equipped hospital in Ireland of the West of England.
We were in the Irish sea for a week of cruising and three day liberty in Portsmouth.
A different and headier world back then, than the Navy sees today. I miss it in a large way sometimes.
By the way I have and love to read and consult the Susan P. Howell Celestial Navigation book. It is one of the best tomes out there.
Rommel John Miller
8679 Island Pointe Drive
Hebron, MD 21830-1093
410-219-2690 (Land and Home)
443-365-7925 (Cell)
From: NavList@fer3.com [mailto:NavList@fer3.com] On Behalf Of Stan K
Sent: Wednesday, September 30, 2015 7:02 PM
To: rommeljohnmiller@gmail.com
Subject: [NavList] Re: Name of an American woman lost at sea
Alan,
i suspect you are thinking of Susan P. Howell. She was involved in navigation education in CT, but I don't think she had anything to do with the Fastnet race.
Stan
-----Original Message-----
From: Alan S <NoReply_AlanS@fer3.com>
To: slk1000 <slk1000---.com>
Sent: Wed, Sep 30, 2015 3:12 pm
Subject: [NavList] Name of an American woman lost at sea
