Boat driving skills test. I give myself a C.
As most of you know i have a new boat , I live to fish and just got back from British Columbia.
The "pushing the envelope " thread by A.T.C. was interesting , and I must write about my first test as Capt. of a sea going vessel.
After fishing for 7 days non-stop , I took my family for a sight seeing tour . We spent the night at a resort (sort of ) called Echo Bay.
The trip had been uneventful ,, just as planned.
The morning after our night at Echo Bay started off anxiously.
I got up early and was puttering with my boat and listening to the V.H.F. weather.
Gail force winds were being reported .For me to get the family back I had to take them across the Queen Charlotte straight.
My first and formost instinct was to call it and spend another night. I had my wife (she is always nervous in a boat) my 5 year old daughter, my 11 year old son, his 11 year old best friend, my dog .
I was running with two other boats a 24ft. trophy and a 21 ft Trophy. The other two boats and the Captins seemed concerned but not to the point of calling the ride home off for another day. I didnt have much choice , I was the novice of the group, so I didnt get a vote.
Part of my concern was due to the fact that the day before my starboard wiper motor had gone out and i knew that i would be driving partly blind the entire ride home. The other captins had thier wipers working and both reasurred my that you really dont need them any way. I was not convinced but didnt seem to have much choice in the matter.
Away we went.
The first 5 miles or so was in a protected channel and then we broke out into the wind chop.
The wind was blowing 30- 35 mph and the water was a mess , the wind waves were 6ft. at least.
The 24fter calls me on the V.H.F. and says if you need to go faster, go ahead. At this point i realized that this running together thing (for safety) is pretty much a joke . You are all alone. Even with the other two boats within sight I couldnt see them saving me and my crew (maybe,just maybe they could have helped) . The 24fter couldnt keep up with me and the 21fter wasnt paying any attention to me.
At just about this time the waves are getting bigger and I cant see a thing. I hit a wave that was steep and tall and without being able to aee i let off on the throttle just enough to let the next wave shove the boat sideways, ,,, for that brief second the pucker factor had gone from a 5-6 to an 11+ .
my wife was busy talking to god so she really didnt know what had just happened (thankfully).
Well we made it safe and sound BUT im mad at my self for not putting my foot down when i wanted too and stay another night.
i learned a big ol lesson that day about my gut instinct and how important is is to listen to it.
i will never let someone ,anyone, talk me into doing something (with them) that i wouldnt do alone.
__________________
"It's a long way to the top," -AC/DC
"When all other fishing becomes filler " J. Wells
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