From: "George Sherwood" 

On Fri, 27 Oct 2006 08:57:14 +0100, Ad wrote:

> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/10/26/scottish_ferry_meets_us_navy/
>
> "A tiny ferry making its way across the Clyde river got caught up in a
> NATO naval exercise and ended up being threatened by a large US
> battleship, it emerged this week.
>
> The 70-year-old boat was starting the 15 minute crossing from Gourock to
> Kilcreggan when it received a radio message: "Unidentified vessel
> approaching on my starboard side, please identify yourself. If you fail
> to do so, we will open fire on you with live ammunition."
>
> The US ship had just left Faslane Naval base.
>
> A source told the Daily Record: "The skipper got a real fright and
> radioed him back, saying he was just a wee ferry.
>
> "If you've got a big battleship loaded with guns bearing down on you and
> threatening to shoot, it's quite scary."
>
> The message was broadcast on channel 16 - usually reserved for
> emergencies. Commander Don Chalmers, in charge of the excercise,
> apologised to the rattled ferry captain."
>
>
> Blimey that will endear the Yanks to the locals.
>
> I'll bet the MoDPlod who do the trident "escort" will be having word
> wi't yanks wrt who's allowed to threaten to shoot people on the Clyde.
>
> Easy way round it too....assume every yank ship is nuclear armed & thus
> should come under the nuclear escort provisions.
>
> Course that would open their ship movements etc up for inspection by the
> nuclear safety people but is that a bad thing?
>
>
> Adam

Geez....one there are no battleships....two most have only one gun...three
something is fishy with the call out...that isn't how it is done....it
doesn't say we will shoot, it says you are putting yourself in harms way.

Seems to me a whole way blown up to make the news, but then again what is new.

By the way they make it sound bad that it was on channel 16, that is the
proper place, VHF 121.5, UHF 243.0, and Maritime Ch 16.

Just an incident that happens many times a day all over the world, I can't
even count the number of times I have heard by ships of all countries. But
if you can come off anti-American..good on you.

George

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