Major Andrew Mallia is not only uniform and studs: he knows well what life at sea is all about.
At sea you have to “Be Prepared”, always, and need experience and training, otherwise in that panic you will end up in total loss.
I know of people who instead of keeping calm will look for the bottle and that complicates all the rules. I remember once in such a situation the Master ordered me to send a Distress Message, but knowing my job, and the state he was in, I sent an emergency message instead.
This is not the same as Distress but shipping was alerted and contact was made. Everyone was on stand by; if things deteriorated, the Distress Message would have been sent.
But by 07.00am we were happily in port and I saved Sea Malta a ship. (Note – a Distress Message should be handed in writing and signed by the Master; otherwise I could have got all the blame.)
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