CR OTC: Triumphs and Tribulations (Long & Lots of Pics)

[Chromaflage]

Here's the long version with pics. I know it's long, but worth the read. There are many points to ponder. I'll start from the beginning.

Team Aqua Velvet (Boatdog, Skybuster, Irish Pennant and myself) took our position on the south end of line just before 0600. The plan was to head toward 46 x 125. Flares up and we're off. We got got in the slop of the wakes from one of the larger boats and the seas never did settle on the way out. It was a long slow trip out. The crew and I were dreading a replay of last year's Hammond OTC when we called it 25 miles out with no fish due to degrading ocean conditions. At 0845, we found a 1+ degree break at 125:55. Every fiber of my begin said that was where to start, so we did.

We were onto fish within 2 minutes of deploying the gear. We work an area that was about 1.5 square miles in the vicinity of 46:07 x 124:57. We had several multiples and we picked some up casting swim baits. We never had time or the desire to deploy blue cord. At about 1300 hours we had put 33 in the box, which is a new boat record for Aqua Velvet. We decided to call it and picked up and headed for the barn for weigh-in.

We ran about 10 miles and were cruising at 22 to 25 kts in much better seas, when I heard a loud clunk and the engine RPMs shot up instantly. I slammed the throttle back and listened - kachunk, kachunk - motor running fine but the spinny thing wasn't doing its spinny thing. Dead in the water!

I called out to my wingman, Dance Floor. He was already well ahead of us and said he'd come on back to us. Once Mike and I were done talking, the response over the radio was overwhelming. We had Sea Gypsy willing to come in hang with, Miss Beverly coming in, Just Keep Fishing (here comes the video camera! ). After the initial flurry of responses, the first to arrive on our stbd side was Miss Beverly, then Hi-Tek to our port and Tracker coming up stbd. I can't thank all of you enough for your willingness to help or just be there. That alone alleviated much of the stress of the situation.

Tracker pulled in front of us and we ran a rope to him. We were setting up for the tow when the Alika - 42' Charter boat (I believe Team Allstate aboard) - called in and offer to tow. The alika came in and relieved Tracker of the tow. Once hooked up and underway, Dance Floor, Miss Beverly and Just Keep Fishing stayed along side us for a while to make sure everything was going smoothly. During this time, the JKF team deployed a line and caught a tuna just off our stbd stern

After about 30 minutes, it was decided that we were literally in good hands and the others ran to the barn to make weigh in. I radioed for Mike (HiTek) and asked him to phone my wife, who had a copy of the float plan with all contact numbers....this worked pretty flawlessly - Mike got the message to my wife, who called and talked the E-contacts for everyone else on board.

After a couple hours of being towed by the Alika at about 7 kts, USCG called in and said that they were sending a 47' MLB to relieve the Alika of the tow. About an hour or so later, we see the 47 through the fog coming in on our port side. We dropped the Alika tow line and the 47 pulled up, clipped on, payed out and got us moving up and down the 2-3 foot swells together - we were under way again at about 9 kts. It was a very, very long ride in. We got near the entrance to Hammond at about 8:00 PM when we were treated to another hand-off, a side tow into the harbor by a patrol boat. We were delivered to the dock safely and were treated to a boarding and courtesy inspection, which we passed with flying colors.

Stickfish (Dance Floor 1st mate) was thoughtful enough to talk to Del to make sure we had dinner plates available when we got back....MANY THANKS TED!!!!

When we finally walked into the big top, we were greeted warmly by many of the dogs who monitored our situation over the radio. What a caring group, these salty dogs!!!!!

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to many people. Now that I've had a chance to decompress, I'm a bit overcome by the response to a dog in distress. I want to offer specific thanks to the following people:

*My crew - for being calm and collected, which helped me keep a level head
*HiTek (Mike - Dance Floor) and crew for being willing to come to my side until sure we were safely on course for Hammond.
*Miss Beverly - whose moral support and willingness to zip right in to us and monitor us - and their overall concern over our well-being
*Tracker and Keep on Fishing crew - for coming in, being willing to attempt the tow and hanging with us. Yes, I'd like a copy of the video...
*Sea Gypsy - her willingness to come in to us and after Mike, was the first voice of response and reassurance
*Alika and Team Allstate - OMG, I can't thank you guys enough for dragging our sorry butts for two hours. Alex, I wish I could have seen you at the tent to shake your hand....I'll be giving you a call, sir. Many, many, many thanks to you and your crew!!!
*Tuna Dog for making sure there was a meal for us and for being willing to work with us....we just got there way too late for the weigh-in.
*All of the dogs who, upon our arrival to the tent, were there to greet us and welcome us home.
*USCG Cape Disappointment crew - what a professional group of guys. Very impressive to see them work and we are extremely appreciative that they came to relieve Alika so they could get under way again.

I'm sure I have forgotten someone - and I'm sorry if I did. If you were there either in person or on the radio with us and I didn't mention you, believe me, I and my crew appreciate you being there.

Now, here's the other crappy part of this whole deal. While we were under way, we decided to grade our fish to identify the top 5. We set them aside in their own little ice bath. After our return, I borrowed a digital scale. Our five fish would have weighed in 140# 5 Ounces - as God is my witness!!! Later we found a couple fish that were over looked that if we had submitted, would have put us near the 145# mark. All my crew was there when we weighed the fish and they can attest to the weight. Quite a shame we couldn't get in in time....You're welcome, Bud!!!!!!

So, what went wrong? Something let loose in the lower unit and sent a piece of shrapnel through the housing (pic later).

Here's the photo journal of our weekend:

Friday afternoon, Boatdog decides that Aqua Velvet does a nice porcupine imitation.


Starting line, Saturday morning. I did not like the wake of this boat at all!


Every time I looked, the bleed bucket was overflowing. Hey, crew, next time remember to put the bleed bucket on the swim step, OK!!!


Skybuster volunteered for hookup duty while Tracker was preparing to be the first to tow. We didn't get a chance to get underway when the Alika showed up.


We had the honor of watching the Alika drag us along for a couple hours.


Then the 47 arrived to relieve the Alika of the tow.


Ready to clip the bow ring!!


Paying out to set proper spacing for the swells.


33 fine quality CR albacore! New boat record in both number and total weight!


Team Aqua Velvet Displays the catch with smiles despite the long 42 mile crawl back to port.


Something just doesn't look right. I'll always wonder what the velocity of the shrapnel was that caused this hole.



A huge thanks to Boatdog, Skybuster and Irish Pennant. Save for the mishap with the outdrive, it was a stellar day!!!

And again, a huge thanks to all those dogs who gave assistance, provided moral support and were just there for us. I'm overwhelmed by the compassion of this community!!!

Thanks to the USCG Cape Disappointment Crew - we were happy and relieved once we got back to port!!!!

What a weekend! Talk about extreme highs, lows, excitement and disappointment.

Thanks again to all the Salty Dogs and to those who put together and worked on the Hammond OTC!!!!

Kerry

[Fish Mode]

Amazing story that demonstrates the love between fellow seamen and women, great job and a pat on everyone's back!

BTW: Is that a chicken with a hook underneath those tunnies? LOL

[fishbait]

Wow Kerry,

Glad you are all OK

Guess you already said it.....

What a fine group of Salty Dogs we at times have the pleasure of fishing with

Some classy people

[Irish Pennant]

Kerry it was a privilege to crew for you. You run a pretty tight boat. It was a great day of fishing and catching the TUNA on swim baits with the Diawa Saltist/Saltiga combo was great. The rod and reel I won at the SD convention and this was the first TUNA trip it had been on.

My thanks also goes out to all that helped us to get back to port and for those that were wishing us well. I will second that the Salty Dogs are a very special and unique group of fishers .

Leave No Dog Behind, it's real.

[Sea Jypzee]

Kerry,

Great story and pics!! I was greatly relieved that you made it in safely. It was no problem at all diverting in your direction, though honestly there wouldn't have been a lot we could have done except to be there in case of emergency. Only once I heard that you had other bigger dogs closer and would be at your side faster than us, and I knew you were safe and turned back to head for the barn.

Sorry to hear about the out drive problems. It sounds like a new Out drive is in your future from the looks of those pictures.

Fantastic job on the fish!!

[skein]

Kerry, I feel for you and the damage to your boat, but that's the best post I've read in a long time! Talk about a bunch of stand-up guys!

Wow.



Skein

[Smoked Salmon]

Oh man! Never a dull moment in the Pacific Ocean.

Thanks Dogs for taking care of our own. What a testament to our sport, our ethics, and the fundamentals of this tournament.

ps. it looks like a kangaroo in a pink dress.

[stream]

Sorry Kerry. It was great to see you and talk if there is any thing I can do just give me a call.

[wthr4d]

whether its the chicken or the Kangaroo I want to know which one caught the most fish!!

what a great testament to the principles we all stand for as salty dogs!

paul

[topknot]

Hope your luck improves, topknot

[Sea Fox]

Bumer dude. But look at the bright side, the free ride home! And if your lucky I might have that outdrive that has been sitting around off an older mercruiser v-8. PM me if you have'nt already got it put back together. Glad to see all went well in the end and the true meaning of no dog left behind. And what a feeling to see that Coast Gaurd come to the rescue, been there to assist another vessel dead in the water when the coasties break through the fog and all fears seem to subside.

[Fatdad]

Great job Kerry. It sure warms my heart to see how everyone came together, GREAT JOB DOG's. I will feel better out there on the blue knowing guys like you are around.
TO Bad about the fish they look great.

[Chromaflage]

Sea Fox, thanks!! It's an OMC Cobra outdrive. I'll be pulling it to do the CSI on it this week to ID the failure. In the mean time, I'll be trying to find a replacement....looks like a call to the insurance company is in order.

[FM2]

Great story in some ways Kerry! Great for all the fish you put in the boat but sorry you had the dreaded "thunk" happen. That happened to me once on my 30' boat and when you described it brought back those memories. Glad you guys made it back in safe and everyone is there to fish another day!

[CATCH AND EAT]

Kerry, the main thing is that you and the crew are home safe and sound. It would have been nice to see Bud not win something for a change. My thinking is he sabatoged your outdrive.

It's obvious you have a lot of friends here that are top notch and willing to help out. Salty Dogs leave no dog behind.

[Chromaflage]

Originally Posted by CATCH AND EAT

Kerry, the main thing is that you and the crew are home safe and sound. It would have been nice to see Bud not win something for a change. My thinking is he sabatoged your outdrive.

It's obvious you have a lot of friends here that are top notch and willing to help out. Salty Dogs leave no dog behind.

And I am so thankful for that.

[yarndog2003]

Great story and pics Kerry.. I am glad all went well and everyone was safe. those are some nice fish

[Mello-Yello]

This story makes me very proud to be a member of the "Salty Dogs".

Am glad things went as well as they did, all things considered.

Hope the outdrive fixes up fast!

M-Y

[ron m]

Kerry and cew, sorry to hear of the troubles, glad to hear all of you are fine. The response of the Dogs is not surprising, it is very comforting to all of us. Don't know if the Alika had dogs on board or not, but kudos to them too.

Good luck with the fixing.
ron m

[Bait O' Eggs]

After some references to me being pulled around on the ocean behind a boat on a rope the night before, I didnt know you had it in you Kerry to do the same. Aqua Velvet doesnt look like an inflatable donut but you had the principle down.

Was nice to listen to the pack converge on you.

sorry for your troubles, hope the repairs are easy and quick.

[Duckwheat]

Great Story and nice to know that others are looking out for you out there. You never know when the shoe might be on the other foot.

Probably not an insurance claim unless you hit something.


What a bunch of fish!

DW

[Mypursuit]

Kerry,

Sorry about the outdrive...but what a great story and an excellent round of "catching".

[greenbuttskunk]

Kerry, so sorry to hear about the mishap and damage. BUT, you could not have been in better hands. The folks involved showed their true colors. True to form. WE are all safer out there when we stick together and watch each others backs. Nice work!

[Spindrifter]

Kerry,

Man, thats too bad about the outdrive. Nice haul on the tuners though

[tracker]

I felt really good about my crew when the Alika called on the radio and we could see them coming in. The crew did not want to hand over the tow. They considered it a great priveledge to be able to help. Does make a guy feel good to see all the boats coming to help. It feels good to be there to help. To have a willing crew. Jack (LQQKASTAR) said as we handed off the tow, "That there goes our good Karma". Well at the raffle all four of our tickets were drawn. I guess the good Karma came back!

[The Lucky Duck]

It was very comforting hearing all the people volunteering to help. I hope you get your boat fixed in time for Charleston.

[FINZ]

Karry, gald to hear you had so much help up there. I was in Garabaldi and could hear the coast guard talking to you but I couldn't hear your replys.

To all the salty dogs that stayed with you when you were in trouble

Finz

[just ducky]

Kerry glad we could be there if nothing else but for moral support. Would have taken on the tow if know one else showed-up.Bet that wuold have looked great. Little dog trying to pull the big one around. Just glad it all worked out and your back safe.

[Gun Rod Bow]

Sorry for the breakage but a nice story of support from the dogs, the coasties and all.

Nice story...except for the broken boat part

to all

[SecondSeason]

kerry i am glad you made it back to port. sorry to hear of the troubles at sea. it is never a good feeling to have a break down at sea but the dogs delivered.

question did the CG hassle you in anyway? tickets, rough go through? I thought they didn't tow now that sea tow was in port.

nice haul hope that doesn't set you back too far.

treb

[Chromaflage]

We weren't "hassled" by USCG at all. They were very professional. Once we were back to the harbor, we were boarded for a "courtesy" inspection. We passed the inspection with flying colors - all safety gear in order and we were well beyond the minimum USCG requirements. Although they didn't have a sticker for me (not AUX), they did give me a receipt. No citations though.

Treb - I'll PM you on the other.

[Boatdog]

First off, THANK YOU to all of you that responded to our 'situation', in all of the many, many ways. And a very special thanks to Tracker and crew for volunteering to tow us, and to the ALIKA and crew for sacrificing their time to help us back in to port.

I can guarantee all of you that this malfunction was in no way related to lack of maintenence or neglect of any kind. The outdrive was checked out and given the A-OK by a certified marine shop just last week. Unfortunately, CRUD happens, and usually at inopportune times.

Thank you to the "Dance Floor" and crew for winging for us and being there all day.

Still makes my eyes kind of water realizing the caring and generosity of so many people.

As for Team Aqua Velvet, well guys, we kicked hind end! I had a BLAST out there Saturday! Irish Pennant, thanks for all of your hard work out there. I enjoyed fishing with you, and the bonus fish you added to the boat were great! Skybuster, again, the pleasure was mine. I appreciate you being permanent crew, and you are very helpful, hardworking, and a great guy to spend a weekend with.

Chromaflage - You've come a long, long ways in the last two years, and I'm glad I've been able to be part of it for the entire way. Since words can't capture my gratitude and pride in what you've accomplished, I guess I'll have to keep showing it by helping you out with maintenence, upgrades, installations, and of course, FISHING!!!

So I'm gonna end this with a little dance, a little party, and a toast to all of you fine, outstanding Salty Dog individuals.

[Iwish]

Great story Chromaflage. Glad it all worked out safely the way it did.

Although it wasn't my boat that towed you back in I was glad to be part of Team Allstate on the Alika and have the honor to tow you and your crew about 30 miles.

We had a great ride back into port. The ocean had settled down and it was a nice easy ride back in. We even had a nice little show with the dolphins paying us a visit and what seemed to be some sort of a swallow that kept trying to hitch a ride with both of us.

We had a pretty good load of fish ourselves and were excited to see what we ended up with. We had weighed a few after they had been bled and had a couple over 30# and a bunch between 26# and 28#. Our largest one was about 38"-39". Probably not enough to put us on the podium but were glad to just be a part of it all. All things considered, we had a great time and were so glad we were in the right spot at the right time.

I should have some other photos to post soon from the other direction.

Ron

[skybuster]

Kerry, excellent job all around. You kept us on the fish all day, Boatdog orchestrated the deck flawlessly (we only had one minor tangle fishing 10 rods all day), and Irish Pennant showed us that swimbaits do catch tuna!

As has been stated above, the spirit of the Salty Dogs is amazing. That spirit drew me to this board, and sucked me to the dark side of offshore fishing. Besides experiencing one of the best wide open bites I've ever been a part of (33 fish to deck and lots of other bites), I got to experience the true spirit of the Dogs. Never once did Team Aqua Velvet feel alone out there, and deep inside we knew that the dogs would bring us back. Heck, the dogs even made sure we were fed back at the dock.

Thanks again to everyone that made this one of the best fishing trips I've ever been on, even with a broken boat!

[Chromaflage]

I am truly humbled by the compassion and responses from this group. Thanks to all....I've been in touch with my insurance company and things look promising.