Hum Posted December 1, 2010 Share Posted December 1, 2010 :laugh: (CNN) -- A Holland America cruise ship was disrupted early Saturday morning by an intoxicated passenger who released the ship's anchor, according to an affidavit obtained by The Smoking Gun website. California resident Rick Ehlert, 44, released the anchor and a life buoy between 5:25 a.m. and 5:55 a.m., according to the affidavit. The MS Ryndam was unharmed, but the release of the anchor could have caused "significant damage to the ship's rudder or propeller, which could disable the ship's ability to maneuver, or puncturing of the ship, which could result in sinking or severe flooding," according to the affidavit. The ship was traveling from Costa Maya, Mexico, to Tampa, Florida. A surveillance video shows Ehlert taking multiple steps to deploy the anchor while the ship was in motion. The MS Ryndam's maximum speed is 22 knots, which is approximately 25 mph, according to Holland America's website. Ehlert confessed to dropping the ship's anchor when questioned by special agents from the FBI. He admitted to being intoxicated at the time and detailed the multiple steps he took in deploying the anchor, including entering an area marked as off-limits to passengers. more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucryster Posted December 1, 2010 Share Posted December 1, 2010 LOL thats funny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nagisan Posted December 1, 2010 Share Posted December 1, 2010 Glad nobody got hurt but where's the video of him doing this? I can only imagine the look on his face when he realized what he had done (assuming he realized what he did). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleNeutrino Veteran Posted December 1, 2010 Veteran Share Posted December 1, 2010 You would think that now adays it would be mostly a digital process and not a manual one to drop the anchor and it would be controlled only in either the engine room or the control room of the ship rather than in an area that a passenger could easily access. lol still rather funny though that he was able to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTC2005 Posted December 1, 2010 Share Posted December 1, 2010 From the sounds of things if he went through the "motions" he likely knew what he was doing....Probably didn't want to go home yet and if he dropped the ancor, they could park there for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahhell Posted December 1, 2010 Share Posted December 1, 2010 Oops. My bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nagisan Posted December 1, 2010 Share Posted December 1, 2010 You would think that now adays it would be mostly a digital process and not a manual one to drop the anchor and it would be controlled only in either the engine room or the control room of the ship rather than in an area that a passenger could easily access. lol still rather funny though that he was able to do it. It probably has a manual override just in case the digital process isn't working and they need to anchor. Which would also explain why he had to go through a certain process to drop it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hum Posted December 1, 2010 Author Share Posted December 1, 2010 Well shiver me timbers ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
He's Dead Jim Posted December 1, 2010 Share Posted December 1, 2010 'Aye Popeye! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gone Posted December 1, 2010 Share Posted December 1, 2010 You would think that now adays it would be mostly a digital process and not a manual one to drop the anchor and it would be controlled only in either the engine room or the control room of the ship rather than in an area that a passenger could easily access. lol still rather funny though that he was able to do it. That actually reminds me of a Navy ship I was on lol. The difference between civilian and military ship may or may not be different in the "engineering" room or whatever it was called. Apparently they mirror everything the captain does (eg full speed ahead *ding ding*). I was 15 at the time though so I don't remember much about it. Lol you think that there would be a "lock" though? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pharos Posted December 1, 2010 Share Posted December 1, 2010 :laugh: :rofl: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckboii Posted December 1, 2010 Share Posted December 1, 2010 damn. good thing no one was hurt or the ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheogorath Posted December 1, 2010 Share Posted December 1, 2010 Shouldn't the area off-limits (it is most likely a room) be locked???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hell-In-A-Handbasket Posted December 1, 2010 Share Posted December 1, 2010 Mabe he wanted to do a powerslide like in Pirates of the Carribean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Growled Member Posted December 1, 2010 Member Share Posted December 1, 2010 Glad no one was hurt. What a maroon. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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