I trying to get my local network to bring back some old tv-series, and a title would help, the series I'm after took place onboard a USN carrier, and the theme-song seems to have been "Sailing" and possibly by Rod Stewart, I remember seeing it when I was a kid, so it's probably from the late 70s, early 80s.
I hope someone can help me.

  I keep thinking "Tour of Duty", but it was middle/late 80's, took place in the Vietnam era. I do vaguely remember a show where most of the action happened on a carrier. It had many shots of the superstructure in the background. I think it may have been a short-lived series.

During the 80's I remember a show called Emerald Point that ahd possibly like a soap opera in the navy system.If that helps?

I've just talked to my mother, she remembers the series because of the song, she used to sing it to make me go to sleep as a kid, anyway she doesn't remember the title - of cause - but she could narrow down the time-periode; according to her I must have seen between the ages of 5 (1976) and 10 (1981), and back then it usually took 3-5 years before american series got shown on tv, so that places it somewhere between the early 70s and the late 60s.
My mother wasn't even sure that it's an american series, I mean sure Rod Stewart is - and was - and international name, but he is Scottish, so the series could be british, on the other hand USN is the only navy in the world that operates true carriers, so...

  Well here's a link to a 70's prime-time US schedule: http://www.inthe70s.com/prim6970.shtml 

  It starts in 1969. You can bring up cinsecutive years by clicking on the  year links at the bottom of the schedule. Maybe something here will jog a memory.

  Also, check this:  http://www.bensons-world.co.uk/vhs/products/5/7000000053756.asp

  It's A BBC documentary, filmed in 1976, on board the aircraft carrier Ark Royal.

Couldn't be a theme of SAILING (UNLESS DONE ILLEGALLY)...message answer from the Christopher Cross know it alls

:No "significant" television show has ever used "Sailing"
: for a theme song. But we have discovered that a few small cable shows
: (public access) or regional television commercials have used it for a
: theme song without the proper authorization. So he may have seen a
: community access program using it or something. But nothing of any
: significance. And they would have used it ilegally.



Hope you find it and let us know?  Drama, spoof? episodic?

I know this reply is a little late(ok, a lot late), but , I remember a show called CPO Sharkey starring Don Rickles. But I can't remember what year it was on the telly.

Yes the TV prog u are talking about was filmed  on HMS Ark Royle on its last tour of duty which after it was scraped last of the big carriers and theme music was by Rod stewart

Thanks everyone, I've found the tv-series online and it was the series I remembered.