It has been awhile since I lasted posted here. But after talking to a friend of mine and hearing his story of trouble on the water tuesday evening I thought I would share.
He and his father took on a job to move a partially built boat from Grays harbor(westport Wa.) To Tacoma in the lower sound. The boat was being custom built for a doctor and the person doing the work split leaving the boat sitting not finished. It was to be a 52 foot diesel powered catamaran. First they fabed out of aluminum a couple of temporary outboard brackets to hold twin honda 60 hp outboards. Motors mounted and adding a temporary console to steer from. They waited for the weather forecast to give them the opportunity to make the 3 day trip safe. Haveing a favorable forecast the set out.
Both my friend and his father are very experieced in the ocean. His father was a captain for over 45 years commercial fishing Alaska and Washington. My friend grew up fishing with his father and worked fabricating and testing boats for Almar Now northriver for 13 years.
They started their trip out of the harbor and thru the bar it was rough but nothing they havent seen before. He told me the boat was way under powered and would only make about 7 knots. Many hours later they had reached La Push and were about to make the corner to head into the Straights of Juan de fuca. As they started up the straights the Coast Guard issued a emergency warning for 40 MPH winds. He said at about that exact time the winds hit. Waves were about 12 feet and 3-4 feet apart. They did their best to keep the boat headed into the wind and to the east toward their route to get home. Then trouble started with the boat being under powered they were haveing a hard time keeping it in a straight line as the ship was being blown from side to side. It didnt have the power to keep it going straight. They eventually caught a big wave and submerged both motors. Killing both motors instantly. So now at drift in 40 mph winds they got tossed around pretty good. Every one had life jackets on and the coast guard was called for emergency assistance. By the time the coast guard reached them they had drifted west and north quite a distance. They were in or near canadian waters. Not thinking they were going to be in canadian waters they didnt have the maps for their GPS and all it showed looked exactly like land. He told me that was a bit scary as they had no idea if they were drifting towards a island or who knows what else.
The coast guard got them off the boat and into theirs and towed their vessel back to Neah Bay. My friend was sited for driving a vessel that wasnt registered. He was the one driving so he got the ticket.
They were lucky that it wasnt any worse. As a little side note his fathers new wife that had never been on a boat before. Wanted to go with them so she has one heck of a first time I was on a boat story. He said she was seasick before they went over the bar at westport. I ll bet she never gets on a boat again.
You can get in trouble fast
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