USS Miller left to be replaced by
USS Richard E Byrd

Sailed for home. Half way across Atlantic diverted to RFA ....... to pick up 21 year old Irish National shipwrecked on single-handed crossing in dinghy (!). Signal gave name a Edna OKeneen - resulting in ship smelling like Turkish brothel from aftershave, etc. What a surprise when the jackstay delivered a man - his name was Enda O’Coineen. After exercising with submarines off Rockall we went through the Irsh Sea and on to Plymouth. On 25th September we had up-channel night with usual Sods Opera, sing-along and plenty of booze. I recall that we did a 'This is Your Life' for the First Lt., Tom Sunt

"I can remember this episode quite well. It was a bit harry roughers -the date was 20th Sept 1977. Weather: Wind 115 force 9, Sea state 7 (high), Vis 4-5 miles. -(somewhere in the N.Atlantic. (Apparently a civvy airliner had picked up a distress signal and relayed it to the Rescue Co-ordination Centre. In turn, Ambuscade received a signal to assist in the rescue describing an inflatable sinking (about 300 miles west of Ireland, I think). I can’t remember how long it took to get to the scene, but RFA STROMNESS. got there slightly ahead, and plucked the very wet chap and his part deflated inflatable craft from the oggin. A short time after he was transferred to Ambuscade, complete with his kit and boat. The rubber inflatable which can’t have been more than a few metres long was lashed to the quarter deck, and Enda was accommodated in the wardroom (I believe). I spoke to him down at the back end on a couple of occasions, and he seemed quite a decent fellow. On arrival at Devonport a few days later, he was met by the press, and appeared in the national press and TV."
David Marchant and Barry Dixon (RFA Stromness)

Well naturally, the usual cracks of the Irish conducting bizarre activities were heard at the time. This evening I though I would see if I could find anything about this plucky sailor and the search lead me to a couple of books offered by Amazon. This is an extract from the synopsis of his biography, The Unsinkable Entrepreneur:

Once a troubled teenager and eccentric sailor, now an entrepreneur and financier - this is the story of how Enda O'Coineen made millions in the telecommunications and information technology sectors of Central and Eastern Europe. Desperate to get off the dole during the grinding recession of 1980s Ireland, Enda discovered a unique approach that allowed him to begin his first publishing business in the middle of a recession - without any cash whatsoever. He describes how he started commercial ventures, publications and charities in the face of incredible odds and in more than a few amusing situations. Since then he has refined his formula into a distinct business philosophy, applying it over and over again to more than 15 separate enterprises. Now an established financier he presides over his own investment banking company and venture capital firm, Kilcullen Kapital Partners.

Arf arf arf!!! I wonder if he wants to join the association?!!