Thus my question, I have little knowledge of how long it takes to fire up the big green engine.
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It depends on what state you left the engine room. When we would drift, the engine room was typically on a 5-10 minute standby.
If the engine room is unmanned and cold, they’ll want closer to an hour.
You would expect in the ordinary practice of seamen that the other ship will just go around you. Nobody decides to start engines and move at such a range when avoiding action by the approaching vessel alone is easy and usual.
Just another old story.
Drifting is rare in a naval ship but I have drifted in a steam turbine frigate with both boilers disconnected and running on diesel generators at four hours notice for steam for two days. We were waiting to refuel at Nauru, but couldn’t because the wind was in the wrong direction for safely mooring to the buoys and being hauled under the gantry (no wharves). We were low on fuel. No thought was given to declaring NUC or any such thing. Too deep for anchoring. No ships ever sail past Nauru it seems.
We were getting weather forecasts from the USN constantly telling us the wind was coming from the opposite direction despite our regular observations of reality. We had to decide to ignore the forecasts of suitable conditions for fuelling as they were unreliable and give up and go to Kwajelein instead.
Did you show running lights or anchor lights?
To be honest, I can’t remember. Certainly not anchor lights. Probably running lights.
Anyway, no shipping whatsoever was expected and none came.
By Rule 23 a vessel underway is required to show the running lights when underway, making way or not.
The exceptions are RAM, NUC and F/Vs (Restricted in ability to maneuver, not under command and fishing vessels).
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