On May 5, 9:36 pm, Joe wrote:
Tell me about the storm you survived at sea.
I'll toss one in..... if others do.

Sorry Rob and BB, maybe next subject.

Joe

Ok I have a couple to share. First was in the N. Sea heading to Wick
Scotland. We hit a 60+ fter on a 225 ft supply anchor boat. It hit the
wheelhouse so hard it blew in four windows and ripped 20 ft of weld
open at the base of the wheelhouse and bent the visor up straight. The
skipper was cut up pretty bad by the glass, I ducked and only got
wet.

Second Terry and I just before we bought a 32ft layfette skiff shrimp
boat we took her about 110 miles out into the gulf of mexico to do
some snapper fishing. Also brought along the owner. This was a fast
boat 27kts. We did not get to fish but about 30 min when we noticed a
horizon to horizon black wall of coulds heading towards us. We untied
from the rig and had almost an hour at full speed to try to get to SW
pass of the mississippi. Whenthe front hit we had in no time 20-30 ft
seas. It took us 4 hours to get out and over 24 to get back in. The
owner wanted to ditch the boat and go up on a rig, but it to
dangerious to try to transfer to a rig, and I told him if he did we
were staying on the boat and claiming full salvage.

Then hurricane Alicia, 1981 I think. I was running a 165 standby boat
for mobil and they needed up to evac the rig so held us on location as
the storm buildt around us. It got so bad the liferings normally on
toss racks on the bridge wings were fouled in the mast, also tore off
both radars.

But the worst was in the South China Sea 1979. We were cought at the
dock as the storm hit, no being able to light off the boilers fast
enough, and many crew members strageling back to the ship. One fellow
was killed on a tug trying to get us away from the dock, we caved
about 3 ft deep 800 feet of 3 ft thick concrete dock as we shoved in
all the water and sewer pipes. We finally with the assistance of 4
fleet tug got underway. That night seas were running in the 60-80 ft
range. It's kinda of scary lookiong down a cargo handling passage way
on the ship and seeing the whole ship twist and bow several feet. On
after look out the waves were tower 10 stories above you then you
would fly up them and almost go airborne as the stern crested the
wave.

I had to be tied to that stancion right next to the stern anchor to
keep from being flung overboard... http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/s...37-gompers.jpg

Why they had an aft looking that night was beyond me, if anyone went
over there was no way they would be recovered.

Joe