Wahoo, Arriving...
by Steve Bateman, Wahoo 565 and Darter 576Ok. We were moored in Yokosuka harbor in the winter of 1972. It was my first WestPac tour and the Wahoo was my first "boat." I was a veteran Topside Watch by this time and so had the grandduty of "teaching the ropes" to the still-learning Seaman Apprentices.On this particular day, after relieving the morning watch and showing my rookie around some, I was forward, checking our lines, when I spied our captain coming down the pier. Moving aft, I realized I'd never make it back to the sail to properly announce his arrival, so I motioned to my student (a name now forgotten) with that universal 1MC "rocker" sign and half-shouted to him that the captain was coming.The kid seemed to understand and I watched him duck into for the sail for the standard, "Wahoo Arriving, Wahoo Arriving" announcement. Instead, I was just nearing the open forward hatch in time to hear "The Captain's Coming, The Captain's Coming!" reverberating throughout the boat.As the Captain and I passed, I'll always remember his half-smile and mock eye roll as we saluted and he made his way down the forward room hatch.....So, anyway. A true story. I'm pretty sure LCDR. R. White was the captain at the time ...
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