John
S. Platt reporting about RNI in 1999
John
S. Platt reporting about RNI in 1999
Updated Friday September 10th 1999
e-mail: xpz67@btinternet.com
| In true RNI style, we also had a fire on board. Someone left the kettle on with no water in it and it set fire to itself. I walked in to find it well alight and using a pair of wet oven gloves, picked it up ran to the stern and threw the whole lot into the sea. |  Phil Mitchell
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 Clive Boutell
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We were going to provide a commentary on the Clacton Air Display, which took place on the last Thursday and Friday we were on the air. A professional commentator was to arrive on board to undertake the task but due to circumstances, he did not arrive. |
| We were contracted to provide the commentary and the only person with any experience of aviation and air display's, was me. So I was given 30 minutes notice, a lesson on cueing and told to get on with it. I had no notes and had to rely on memories stored in my only remaining brain cell, I therefore made the complete commentary up as I went along. |  Me commentating on the air display
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 Emergeny notice
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Paul Graham heard my efforts and decided that this boy could go far. Having finished the commentary, I was told to learn how to use the equipment in the studio. As we had a shortage of DJ's, I was going to have to do a program. |
| I presented a different kind of
music program between 0300 - 0600 the next day. That nice Dick Palmer advised me that no
one would be listening so I could play whatever I liked. I will admit to not being a fan
of the 70's music played on RNI, and as I had brought back several heavy rock albums, I
played those. Was Ronnie James Dio or Kip Winger ever played on RNI? Well, they have been
now and no complaints were received.
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 Me doing a programme (doesn“t he look like Tony Windsor“s young talented brother? [the editor] ) |
 Final hour (L to R): Dick Palmer, Graham Vine, Dave Rodgers and Paul MacLaren
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For the last 3 days, we were broadcasting over the Internet and on short wave via American station WBCQ who retransmitted our output on their 100 kW short-wave transmitter. We received reception reports from all over the world. |
| We also received many medium wave reception reports from Europe, as far away as Finland but the furthest person who heard us was in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, not bad for 1 watt! |  Dick Palmer, Ray Anderson and Paul MacLaren looking for a fan
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 Dawn on the last day of TX
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On the final Friday was suffered a major disaster, our water pump broke. The one way valve at the bottom of the cylinder fell off. We dismantled the top of the pump but the actual cylinder, in which the pieces of the valve were resting, was too narrow for any of us to get our arms down to retrieve the valve. |
| However, one of the visitors to the ship at that time was Kieran Murray who, being of a very tender age, was able to reach down and get the valve up. He was then feted like a hero for the next hour, put on the air and generally made at home. Kieran, thank you very much for lending us your arm and saving us having to get all the fresh water out of the tank using a bucket. |  Keiran Murray saves our lives
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