Page 15 - Willem Barentsz

fortunately there is plenty of spare equipment on board. On the 2030 kHz, a store list of the AM1 still
must be taken, she will bunker tomorrow. Hans must do that in the radio room, because it is even
busier in the plotting room. Although, also as far as the activities of the radio service were concerned,
the capture and everything related to it was the most important, the shortwave telegram traffic was
not negligible. The busiest day I remember was a day with 250 outgoing telegrams, 150 to PCH and
100 to ZSC. With an average of 2 minutes per telegram, which is not bad, we were still busy with PCH
for about five hours, just for outgoing telegrams. Of course, it was not always so busy, but with a total
crew of 700 to 750 people, factory ship and catchers, and with the radio as the only means of contact
with home, there was a lot of keying in the short wave. Not to everyone's satisfaction. One of the
State Inspectors once came up angry, "will you finally stop disturbing Radio Netherlands World
Service".

At the roll call of 12:00 there are three ships that do not report. They are busy hunting. They are in
sight of the other catchers and therefore there are no reasons to worry. Eating downstairs is not an
option today. The drinks, the bitterballen (Dutch snack) and the hot bite must be brought upstairs,
that is more the rule than the exception for captain and chief R/O in the season.
At 14:00 the AM2 calls "if the doctor can come on the phone". That's possible. The doctor does not
trust the patient and wants him to board the factory ship as soon as possible. Is that possible? "Yes,
that is possible, they are only 12 miles away and can take the fish they have just shot alongside as a
fender". "Could a man from the radio service come along, because the radar is defective, and the
gyro and whale scare device are malfunctioning". That is also possible, but back as soon as possible.
Joost is called up and a box of spare parts is prepared. Joost likes to do that, a few days on a catcher.
At 1500 hours, the AM5 is alongside. The patient is hoisted on board and Joost goes into the basket.
The boatswain puts it neatly on deck of the AM5. Not on a bollard, like the last time, when he rolled
over the deck with his spare box, but it is now (still) calm weather. The 5 immediately throws off
again, delivers the fender fish and tries to earn some more.
At 1600 hours another roll call. The weather is now rapidly deteriorating. The barometer falls like a
stone, not unusual in this area, it roars and starts snowing. The catchers to the east of us are not
bothered by that yet. At 1700 hours, a warning goes out. Given the weather conditions, the buoy
boats can only pick up a limited number of fish. Each catcher is told which fish he is responsible for
from that moment on. That causes some grumbling here and there, especially if the weather is still
good there and you still have a few ahead of you. But the weather is moving around the East at
lightning speed and people see the reasonableness of it. Fortunately, thanks to their course
recorders, the catchers have a good idea of course and distance between two flags. Even though they
have now been on a hundred different courses ahead with the hunt, the course recorder flawlessly
gives the resulting course and distance. In the past, it was keeping an eye on the same iceberg as
much as possible.
We have been practically stationary for hours. With fish behind the stern, we are slow steaming with
three knots behind the fleet. The "Awazu Maru" has already put the tenders overboard and they sail
back and forth with meat, which will be frozen on board. Seven thousand tonnes per season,
destined for Pet Food Industries in England. On the bridge of the "Willem Barendsz" the Japanese
officers talk to the "Awazu Maru" via their own VHF. It sounds particularly agitated this time. No
wonder, because one of their boats lost both the "Willem Barendsz" and the "Awazu Maru" in the
dense snowstorm. You can just hear him through his walkie-talkie. "Let him slowly steer east, our
own course and do nothing else," they are advised. That will be a puzzle on the radar, there is quite a
bit of "sea clutter" and the tender gives a small echo. There is almost no difference between the echo
of a lump of ice and a tender. After more than an hour, he is located. A sigh of relief. They are not