0900 | Wednesday, September 5th, 2018

“French War Ship, do you Copy?”

Were words that I hadn’t ever heard coming over the VHF 16 channel.

I was just due south off of Long Island in the Atlantic Ocean on a yacht delivery of a custom 84′ McMullen & Wing Yacht.

The day was clear with visibility of what must have been 50 miles.

There wasn’t a boat in sight nor pinging on RADAR.

For a minute I was thinking that somehow my VHF had attenuated much further then it should’ve and I was picking up chatter for many miles away.

Then, from 287° due West, out of the corner of my eye I saw something in the water. Quickly training the binoculars in that general direction, I finally saw the “French War Ship“.