A young sailor is given a large hook and binoculars, fitted with a harness and safety line and stationed on the weather decks to seek out that oh so important piece of nautical equipment– the mail buoy.
Recruit of Indianapolis on ‘mail buoy watch’, 10 Mar 1943
Without it, entire generations of bluejackets would miss out on the joke.
Or worse, be sent looking for a bucket of prop-wash.
