FLOTSAM

Flotsam = wreckage, debris, or refuse from a ship, found floating in the water.
I spotted this life ring floating in the North Sea It was drifting a good 500/600 metres away from our ship. approx 140 Kilometres off the east coast of Scotland,The Captain decided to launch our Fast Rescue Craft to recover it and see if we could find out what vessel it came from.
That was easy, The "Lady Elsie" is a 40ft Fishing Charter Vessel working out of Hartlepool, contact with the Coast Guard assured us that she was not reported missing or over due and the wonders of Google soon threw up the phone number of the owner/Skipper. I called him up and he reckoned he lost it during bad weather around 6 weeks previously, while he was crossing the North Sea to Norway. In a 40ft boat that is no mean task in its self.
Upshot is that as he has replaced it he has no further use for it so I guess it's mine, So it may find a home with the Sea Scouts if they want it or Annie can turn it ino a feature in her Garden.