Fleet and his fellow lookouts having repeatedly requested to be provided with binoculars, they were not available for the lookouts. This is sometimes attributed to the last-minute change in the hierarchy of the ship when officer David Blair was removed from the maiden voyage crew (due to the knock-on effect of Henry Tingle Wilde being appointed chief officer) without mentioning where the binoculars had been located. It has been also mentioned that Blair accidentally took the keys of the cabinet containing the binoculars with him. Despite both inquiries into the disaster, nothing clarified why the lookouts were not provided with binoculars, although there are many possible explanations such as one that the White Star Line steamers' lookouts did not particularly use them. Some experts have said that even using binoculars, neither Fleet nor Lee could have spotted the iceberg any sooner given the conditions of the night. At 23:39 (11:39 p.m.), Fleet first spotted the iceberg and rang the nest's bell three times to warn the bridge of something ahead. Then, using the nest's telephone, he contacted the bridge. It was answered only a few seconds later by sixth officer James Paul Moody, who asked Fleet immediately, "What did you see?" He pronounced the infamous "Iceberg! Right Ahead!" warning to Moody. Moody acknowledged Fleet's warning and immediately notified first officer William McMaster Murdoch, who was in charge of the bridge. After the collision, Fleet and Lee remained on duty in the crow's nest for twenty more minutes. At 00:00 (12 a.m.), Fleet and Lee were relieved by Alfred Frank Evans and George Hogg. Fleet went down to the boat deck and helped to prepare Lifeboat No. 6. Minutes later, once the boat was prepared, second officer Lightoller put quartermaster Robert Hichens in charge of the lifeboat and ordered Fleet aboard as well. As they were lowered away, Hichens and American socialite Margaret Brown realized there were only two sailors, including Fleet, to man the boat, and called for another sailor to be sent. As no able seaman was near, Canadian Colonel Arthur Godfrey Peuchen volunteered to join the boat saying he had experience in sailing. He was ordered by Lightoller to reach the boat by climbing down a rope, which he did successfully. Once away from the sinking ship, the boat tried to reach the lights of a ship in the distance, thought to be the SS Californian. While Hichens