In compliance with the COLLREGS and SOLAS our ship responded to the signals. As per Ships Security Plan, our CSO, the US Coastguard and Charterers were informed, ship initiated slowing down to manoeuvring.
A small rescue operation took almost 7 hours, which all constituted the deviation and off-hire. The fishermen were in satisfactory condition and asked only for fuel, food and water so they could reach land on their own.
We supplied all the above on their request, and received in return the documented evidence that they were OK to proceed coastwise on their own. The paper provided also contained their names and the name of the boat.
The weather was fine. We managed to pass a heaving-line to the boat from the second attempt. All the correspondence and transfer was done by means of the line. Most of the effort actually took the procedures and documentation itself.
Down below I post the photos of that operation.
In addition to the above I would like to express my gratitude to all my former-USSR captains who used to conduct the actual SAR exercises, particularly to my old captain from 1997 - Capt. N. Kovatch, Master of m/v Amitie, who often used to train officers in slowing down and manoeuvring at open seas during moderate or near gale weathers. Under command of the Soviet-school captains we often used to train in salvage operations, in approaching a smaller floating objects (flotsam rafts, etc.), in passing heaving-lines. That training gave me a lot of confidence later. Thank you!
Seamen of PCC "Pioneer Leader", Pacific Ocean off Mexican Coast
