The year...1955. As a boy anticipating an upcoming trip to the Sea of
Cortez with my dad and a few of his friends, I had a thought that the
trip could be made even more of an adventure if we had a harpoon.
Thoughts of sneaking up on a napping swordfish with this mighty weapon
drove the endeavor.

First, I secured a piece of 4x14x3/8 inch steel plate. Not having
power
tools available to fabricate the ‘masterpiece’, I found a hacksaw with
an old well worn blade and a couple old files. Three weeks later, with
extremely sore hands, and a much better appreciation of proper power
tools, I finished shaping the detachable harpoon head. The vise work
produced a well shaped and very sharp instrument. The head was
finished
by drilling a hole in its center for the line.

Next, I found a 10’ wooden pole, line, and two 55 gallon oil drums. I
then painted the drums white, modified the pole to accept the harpoon
head, and secured everything together. All together, about a months
work of fabrication by hand after school. But with this gizmo, we were
ready for a whale.

Finally the day arrived when we were on the Sea of Cortez with the
‘gizmo’. We’d been at sea for several hours when Roy, a friend of my
father, asked if he could use the harpoon. I told him, “Of course”.
He
then said, “You drive”. He proceeded to take the equipment forward and
position himself in the bow pulpit on his knees while holding the
handrail.

He issued commands; port, starboard, faster, slower. I couldn’t see a
damn thing from the helm. He then stood up looking very excited and
plunged the harpoon downward with a mighty heave. He yelled, *stop the
boat*! It was then that I saw the two wingtips of a large manta raise
above the water and return to turn the water to a foamy white. Wingtip
to wingtip this monster must have been 25’.

The line sizzled, and Roy tossed the 55 gallon drums overboard. The
line continued to run until completely free of the boat and taut to the
drums. I cranked the engine in gear and we were in chase. We
continued
in pursuit for about 1000 yards when the barrels suddenly stopped and
then disappeared going straight down.

We searched the area for over an hour but never saw the white barrels
or
manta again. The power it takes to drag *two* 55 gallons drums
underwater and out of sight must be tremendous.

Dad is now gone. Roy is retired and living by the Sea of Cortez in
Kino
Bay, Sonora, Mexico. I still go to the sea in search of those damn
drums.

--
Skipper