Posted By John Webster In my (green) case it was "con the poor sod into thinking Billy Pugh was the nickname for a type of infield helicopter". I didn't realise those things were still in use!!

Posted By Graham Bullough I'm not sure what a "Billy Pugh" device is, but mention of boat/platform transfer reminds me of an experience back in 1979 when I had occasion to visit a drilling rig far out in Aberdeen Bay in connection with a new sewage outfall system. The means of transferring from the boat onto the rig consisted of a large rubber ring connected to a conical shaped net hung from the hook of a crane on the rig. From recollection I think the device was known as a "doughnut ring". When the device was lowered onto the boat deck, you stood on the ring and held very tightly onto the net while the device was hoisted high above the water and swung onto the platform. The ride back to the boat was even scarier because a storm was developing. This meant that the boat deck repeatedly moved up and down beneath the device so it was crucial to get your timing right when stepping off onto the deck! Is the "doughnut ring" device the same as or similar to a "Billy Pugh"? If not, please can someone explain to us non-offshore folk what a "Billy Pugh" is? Also, are "doughnut rings" still used as a means of transfering between boats and drilling rigs/oil platforms or have alternative (and less user-scary) systems been introduced?