Needs Must

Set Up

Our original website included a Photo of the Day feature. On Wednesday, March 11, 2015, the Photo of the Day was a picture of a torpedo being loaded aboard HMCS OJIBWA.

Alongside in the background was a large ship. This took former submariner Jim 'Lucky' Gordon on a trip down memory lane. Before you follow him there, it will help to know that a 'target' to a submariner is any surface ship and a 'skimmer' is someone who sails on a surface ship.

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Reminds me of...

This reminds me of many occasions when we were sweating it out in the tropical climes in the Caribbean. The big grey target is HMCS Cape Scott. She would chug her way to US Naval Air Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, every winter to provide a fleet maintenance facility for the Canadian ships deploying in the area.

Of an Evening

This scene reminds me of the time we were alongside Cape Scott, (maybe this time). In the evening after rounds the duty watch would take our 16 mm movie projector up to the casing and show a movie on Cape Scott's side.

Casing Capers

The projector was placed on the casing and we would sit on the casing dangling our legs over the side or sit down on the tank top with our backs against the side of the casing. If the Officer of the day was in a good mood, we were permitted to have a couple beer - or more if we used a little ingenuity. Duty watches were big back then. We could have 15 plus members duty.

One Night

One night while watching a movie, 2 scuttles to Cape Scott's Chief and Petty Officers' Mess were open just above where the movie was projected. They were partying inside.

It is Unwise go Give a Submariner Cause

About ¾ through the movie, we had built up a number of empties that would be disposed of below later on. The noise from the skimmers was getting annoying. Just when an exciting scene ramped up in the movie a single beer can came flying out of a scuttle and landed on the tank top then rolled into the water. Like someone had ordered "open fire", we launched about 2 dozen empty beer cans through those two scuttles and into their mess.

A Mutual Understanding was Reached

Two hands appeared, one at each scuttle, and shut and dogged them. Not a word spoken. We enjoyed the rest of the movie without distraction. Really!

Skimmers vs. Submariners? No contest!

Mind yer bubble.
Lucky