Visit our Popular Forums

jenny.caron · 08-05-2009, 13:06

When my fiance and I first moved to the marina, we found a 2 liter bottle bobbing around with a note inside saying "I always wondered if these things worked. I told my kids I'd try." along with a phone number. He had some little plastic toys in there, too. We called him a couple of times, but never did get an answer....and we're not sure where the bottle ever came from.

anjou · 29-05-2009, 17:20

This is like writing to Santa

Its for fun loving kids of all ages and could be so romantic too

captain58sailin · 29-05-2009, 21:41

In 1976 while crossing the equator on a trip from San Diego to the Marquesas we put a note in the champagne bottle that we had emptied to celebrate our equator crossing, we never heard from anyone.

Live to Dive · 05-06-2009, 04:39

LOL. That's priceless.

BigDreams · 14-06-2009, 14:56

Actually, I have two 'note in a bottle' stories to relate.

The first was while I was young & in the U.S. Navy cruising somewhere near the Philippine Islands (the skipper never really chit chatted with us on our location). A marine friend of mine & myself decided to drop a bottle note over the side. Never received a response, though.

The second story was a bit better because it occurred about 20 years after the first bottle story and I was still thinking of bottles with notes as I combed the shoreline of San Francisco Bay one day just to see what might be found.

Behold, I actually spotted one and opened it with excitement. The note was clear with a name, a phone number, and a request to call. Unfortunately, it was a Bay Area number so it wasn't as if it had floated a thousand miles.

So, I called the number and a woman answered of approximately 40 years of age. I advised her that I was attempting to reach 'Adam' without mentioning why. There was a silence. A deafening silence. And then, she asked me why I wanted to speak with Adam. So, I said that I had found his name & number in a bottle that had floated ashore on the East Bay. More deafening silence. Then, outrageous laughter. Turned out that "Adam" was about 10 years old, her son, and she wondered why an adult male stranger was seeking him. (We all understand the world today). Then, she was delighted and said she would pass the message along to him that his bottle had been found while explaining that he must have thrown it in while fishing with his father on the Bay.

Hows that for a bottle story?

Ocean Girl · 14-06-2009, 22:44

Great story BigDreams

diverguy · 21-06-2009, 15:17

I thew a bottle over while I was on the USS ESSEX, somewhere in the S. Pacific. Unforutnatly, someone saw me, and I spent the next few days trying really hard not to get busted. Apparently, there are a few tree-huggin' hippies in the Navy, who didn't like Marines throwing trash overboard.

And no, never got a response. But I try not to litter anymore, haha

First Mate · 22-06-2009, 21:56

my hubby and I found a bottle while beach combing on a Florida Key.

Had a note - must have been a rum bottle by its shape.

Read note, had address and gave coordinates of North Sea where dropped and the date dropped. Wow! were we excited.

We sent a letter to the address in England.

A few months later, the postman returned the letter (from England!) and it was stamped by the post office in England as undeliverable because: the recipient was "gone away"...... I hope that means he moved...not died......

We kept the bottle for about 10 years as a curio in the living room/dining room area. When we sold all our stuff to move onto a boat...sadly....we pitched it.....

Thistle · 23-06-2009, 05:05

It's a Med tradition when transiting the Straight of Messina (Sicily--Italy) to drop a bottle with a letter to a friend, some cigarettes and some money for postage. We've done 2 bottles on each of 2 trips and each time our 2 friends in the U.S. received our letters within a week. Considering the Italian post system, that is amazing.

Chattcatdaddy · 02-07-2009, 02:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thistle

Considering the Italian post system, that is amazing.

LOL. I lived in Italy for 2years and know exactly what you mean. I sent my mom a postcard about 2 months before I came back to the states and picked it up myself from her post office box a month after I got home.

Free Lancer · 02-07-2009, 10:32

When i was little my mom and i were visiting family in england. Found a bottle on the coast. Was too young to care so much for the letter enclosed, but was estatic over the 5 pounds, and the subsequent candies i bought. lol

MarkJ · 03-07-2009, 23:16

ON our 6 weeks sojourn on Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia we went to Coconut Beach... it is quite removed from the rest of the island, you can not get there by boat because of fringing coral shelf reef, and getting there by land included a LONG rope descent!

The beach itself was a beachcombers paradise!

We all picked up Nautilus shells - we only took one home

There was an amazing amount of rubbish etc washed up - just as if the whole Pacific ocean ended right there... which it does.

Nic and I were just talking about finding a Message in a Bottle when I spied in the flotsam and jetsam:

Barnacles and all!

The bottle had to be broken open to see the message...

And this is where the romantic bit comes in:

The message which you can read below is not addressed, and just written with a scawled signiture on the back of some scrap paper from the ships office (interesting in itself)

I think a wistful officer had a fling and when he had left port he 'threw his thoughts to the sea'.

How sad it is for single sailors....

I have removed her last name.

GordMay · 04-07-2009, 08:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkJ

... The message which you can read below is not addressed, and just written with a scawled signiture on the back of some scrap paper from the ships office (interesting in itself)

I think a wistful officer had a fling and when he had left port he 'threw his thoughts to the sea'.

How sad it is for single sailors....

Indeed.

MSC Clorinda ➥ Ship Photos - MSC Clorinda

Here’s her curtrent AIS report ➥ Station info for MSC CLORINDA - Google Maps APRS

Beverly Stayart · 19-07-2009, 11:57

About the bottle thrown overboard from St. Lucia, you were lucky that one came back since none of the other 40 or 50 did. Where were the others thrown in?