This is a wonderful mixed bag of everything from modern ship spotting to lots of historical footage. Currently he’s uploading maritime episodes of the Look at Life series, narrated and professionally produced, in beautifully scanned 16mm. Here’s an example; the harbor of Monaco sure doesn’t look like that anymore!
There’s also some delightful super-8 footage of life as a mariner in days long gone, like this one:
Well worth my time.
Captain Richie RN was the Hydrographer of the Royal New Zealand Navy before he returned to the UK. The film Brought back a few memories, the smell of iodine from the wet paper Sounders, the equipment used and the ability to have a cup of tea in a small craft while taking horizontal sextant angles and plotting them on the sounding sheet.
The radio stations set up ashore were 2RD Decca slave stations, the ship was the master station. We had 3 caravans for each of the two stations, one for accommodation, one for equipment and one for the generators. They were often towed to the remote site by bulldozer. The duty was quite popular with the survey recorders and the one engine room rating as in some locations a run into town was possible when the ship departed for fuel and stores. Sometimes they even managed a vegetable garden.
I remember that positioning system, used close to shore or where slave stations could be placed on existing fixed platform. These stations were not always manned though
On a rig move off Tierra del Fuego in early 1980s we experienced erratic signal from one of the station. A team was sent off to investigate and rectify the problem. When they reached they found a flock of sheep using the antenna pole as a as rubbing point.
The white woollen polo neck sweaters the survey crew were wearing were issued to survey, small craft and submarine crew. My son in law wears my old one, a bit yellowed but still in good shape. He said it is excellent after diving and the jersey is at least 60 years old.
Mine’s (from patrol boats) only 50 years old and still in good nick. Never gets cold enough now to justify it. Must be global warming?