A big +1 on that Steve, brought back too many memories!!

Reading Lane's story brought back a similar memory. When I lived in Southern California, I was an ocean fisheramn. I had a 25' center console with a single 200 Merc. We weren't afraid to go most anywhere off the coast that the 100 gallon gas tank would allow. One day we went out of Oceanside to do some tuna chasing. And while we got to fish a littel longer than Lane described that they did, we had a similar situation come up. Bad looking clouds, increasing winds, and chatter on the radio that wasn't encourging...so we headed in. About a mile off the jetty entrance I see a Coast Guard cutter has taken up a position just outside of some of the biggest wave action that I had seen in a long time. As I eased closer, the radio came alive with the CG boat asking my intentions. At that point I wasn't really sure, except that I knew I had to get inside that jetty. I asked him the distance between the rollers and he comes back with "approminately 25 feet". Well, at least I'd fit. I tell him that I'm going to watch for just the right time....and go. He advised that they will stand by "just in case". I pick my spot and hit the throttle. Now I've been to the circus before (and Disneyland), but that was the wildest E-ticket ride that I can remember.

Thanks Lane for bringing this back to me. I hadn't thought about that ride for many years. Situations like Lane, Chuck and Laurie found themselves in, aren't for the faint hearted (or the inexperienced boat captain), but if you're qualified, everybody ought to experience that rush once before you die.

Lane,


You are missing your calling as a writer....Tolkein Beware!


Anthony

MMMM, Pop Tarts. I love Pop Tarts.

Great story Lane, but y'all are nuts dude.

were can u go for crappie w/o a boat? at cedar creek?

Guy, thanks for adding to Lane's story! If you haven't been out in some really big waves, you can't beging to understand what they are like. I don't know exactly how big the Atlantic waves were that we found on a destroyer escort...about 300' more or less but, when you are literally walking on the bulkheads when she leans that way, you know they are huge. And that wasn't unusual. You could always see footprints up about 2 to 3' from the deck...pretty scary. I built an inclineometer with a metal washer and a piece of string taped to a radar cabinet then pincel marked degrees from a protractor...can't recall the steepest angle but, it was upwards of 30 degrees..maybe close to 40.

Laner, great story, well told; that's business as usual for you. Fishing before the front always poses the struggle between "the fish are biting" and "that storm is getting closer". Many times on the lake I've stayed out just a little too long.

Guy & OkieBob, nice adds to the story; you guys brought back some memories for me too. I started my career for TI's parent company, GSI, as a marine seismologist doing oil exploration in the North Sea. When the winds/seas picked up, we couldn't work, but the oil companies would pay for weather downtime to keep us on prospect until the storm passed. So instead of heading into port or hiding on the leeward side the Shetlands, we would just set 'er head to wind and hold 'er. I've been through many strong gales and even one violent storm 11 with waves over 40 feet. I recall reporting on one radio check that we had green water coming in through the tops of the bridge doors. The waves were so big they would block out the sun when you slid into the troughs. I don't recall "walking the walls" like OkieBob, but I do recall being bruised and sore, especially about the hips and shoulders from constantly bouncing off the walls as we zig-zagged down the companionway. It took a good bit of muscle flex just to stay upright in a chair and that was if it was anchored down. The chairs in our doghouse were just stack chairs, which required you to hold onto the desk with one hand when it was rough, else you'd go sliding across the room. If you didn't grab something when you hit the other side, soon enough you'd be sliding back. Two life jackets were a necessity for sleeping, as you could use them to wedge yourself against the wall of your bunk to keep from being dumped out on steep roll.

But I'm pretty much a wuss now. When the wind blows like it has been the past couple of days, I'm keeping my dog on the porch and my little boat in the rack.