[AnchorYanker23]

Greetings

I just wanna say I have been lurking here for a few days and have enjoyed reading the posts and discussions, so I decided to join. I am also a member at glocktalk and 1911forum, and heard this place talked about favorably over there, so i decided to mosey on over and check it out. I really look forward to learning new things here and passing on some of what i have learned through many of my mistakes and mis-adventures over the years! :D

-Edgar

[AZTOY]

Welcome :D

[pax]

Welcome, AnchorYanker. :D

Stay long, post lots, learn much.

pax

The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you. -- B.B. King

[Feanaro]

Ah, welcome to our not so humble forums. Have a good time and stick around.

[Schuey2002]

Welcome to The High Road. :)

[Penman]

Welcome, Anchor. Glad to have you here. Fire up the grill. we're all coming over for dinner.

[El Tejon]

Welcome to THR.:) Pen, can we have sushi instead.:(

[blades67]

Welcome to the high road.

[Navy joe]

Anchoryanker:scrutiny: I bet he wuz onadem squid thingees.

[OEF_VET]

Welcome Anchor.

Well, NavyJoe, not everyone can be blessed enough to be able to lay claim to the title 'Soldier'. Some people had to ride around in them big, floating, gray targets.

Frank ;) :D

[cool45auto]

Welcome to THR!:D

[AnchorYanker23]

To be precise I'm in the merchant marine. I'm on an Anchor handling tug/supply vessel, (or AHTS or "anchor boat" for short) in the Gulf of Mexico. We tow jack-up rigs and tow and set out anchors for the Semi-submersibles, in addition to regular Offshore supply duty. The handle "anchoryanker" comes from the fact that the anchors can be in 5,000 or more feet of water under a 100 feet of mud and it takes every bit of our 9,000 horsepower to pull em out. My boat is The AHTS Merle Rowan, She's 246 feet long and our maximum displacement is 4,952 tons. I am currently testing at the coast guard for my mates license and in a few weeks when I get it I will go back as a mate, with a nice pay raise. :D :D here's a pic of the boat. enjoy.:cool:

[MicroBalrog]

Do you have firearms aboard the vessel? If yes, which types?

[AnchorYanker23]

not on my particular vessel, not yet officially at least. there planning on starting something like the armed pilot program where some of the officers go to a class and certified as vessel security officers, and get to carry a sidearm. some of our vessels that worked overseas on navy contracts around areas with heavy pirate activity had weapons lockers, with class III m-16s, shotguns, and sidearms, and the whole crew was trained in their use and stood security watches. we should have sidearms on the boats here in a couple months. But off the record, just because you don't see something and it's not supposed to be there doesn't mean it isn't. :D ;) :evil:

[MicroBalrog]

How did they pay for pre-1986 M16's?

[AnchorYanker23]

actually, i'm not sure on the details, but IIRC they were issued somehow by the military. I shouldn't have put Class III, because I don't believe they were actual civilian registered weapons, I should have just said they were select-fire. Now that you ask, I'm curious myself how they did it, and I'll have to find out for sure, but since we are under the coast guard and we have to take an oath to get a document or a license, we're almost like the regular services. I know the ships in WWII alot of times had military weapons and AAA guns onboard and some of the crews had to man them themselves with no navy crews to do it. I believe since the boat was on a navy contract carrying military armaments to guam and due to the status of being sworn merchant mariners, the company was able to get select-fire milspec weapons and training for the crew. the Merchant Marine is a strange "gray area", Some of it is like the service, in that we are sworn in and have some of the perks and protections of federal employees, but we get alot more money and don't directly work for the gov.
I'm sure there is a statute or law somewhere that would allow for something like that, Like for example under the jones act my paycheck and bank account can't be garnished by anyone, including the federal gov. except for the case of child support. There is all sort of strange statutes in the code of federal regs regarding the Merchant marines.
Frankly, IMHO they'd have been better off with something like a good semi-auto m-1a. My good friend is a Class III dealer/collector, so I know how fun full-auto is but frankly I think it just wastes alot of ammo. there's no substitute for accuracy!
;)

[Safety First]

Welcome to THR

[4v50 Gary]

Fish! Sorry, but that's a term used by inmates and convicts towards new arrivals. In my readings, I've learned that it dates as far back as the Civil War when new prisoners arrived at Andersonville. The term for jailer, turnkey, dates back to the Revolution. It is used still today.

Welcome aboard to THR. Newbie buys the beer and picks up the brass. ;)

BTW, your tug is as heavy as some of the WW II destroyers. May calm waters bless you always.