Well, I don’t know that Lone Palm has a Nautical Answer for that.
GAO-20-86,
indicates actions needed to repair a ship.
The urban dictionary gives:
Top definition
86
“To remove, end usage, or take something out or away. Despite ALL other posts suggestion the origion of this phrase there is only one true answer:
Chumley’s, a famous and OLD New York speakeasy, is located at 86 Bedford St. During Prohibition, an enterance through an interior adjoing courtyard was used, as it provided privacy and discretion for customers.
As was (and is) a New York tradition, the cops were on the payroll of the bar and would give a ring to the bar that they were coming for a raid. The bartender would then give the command “86 everybody!”, which meant that everyone should hightail it out the 86 Bedford enterance because the cops were coming in through the courtyard door.
“86 that light”
“Everyone in Sales got 86’d.”
186 means The threat that you’re gonna kill someone.
187 Police Code for Murder
86 can be traced back to pre-industrial times. Referred to whiskey that was about the strength of beer. Bartender would 86 you if you’d had enough.
Restaurants use it when an item is no longer available. I think it’s pretty common many places/industries.