Congratulations !
You have been awarded points.
Thank you for !
- Story Listed as: True Life For Adults
- Theme: Action & Adventure
- Subject: Adventure
- Published: 11/14/2010
January the weather was harsh. The same in February. Northwesters, one after the other. The gulf stream between Lauderdale and Bimini was a dangerous fifty miles. The life style we were all living was catching up to us all. Those bottles of Crystale aren't cheap. Let alone the other vices. We had to make a go of it. The weed was piling up in Bimini. The planes had made it in, but the boats couldn't. They only had so much storage space. Big Lou & I had just bought a 27' magnum. We had a 26' open fish too. We headed out of Port Everglades in the early a.m. The sun came up as well as the waves. It was getting ruff fast. We lost sight of the other boat. We found out later he got scared and turned back. Lou & I kept going east. We started taking waves over the bow, one after another. This boat had two 350 chevy inboards. Lot's of weight. The bilge pumps were not cutting it. It was a losing battle. We didn't know the word, go back. Before we knew it the engines were under water. Thank God the batteries were up front. Time to use the radio. Call our arch enemy! The Coast Guard. At this point it was a losing battle. The engines had stalled. The boat was being tossed at the whim of the sea. Lou was 6'8 300# plus. I was 6'2, 240 back then. We both climbed to the bow of the boat. A magnum is all bow. The life jackets were inside. Neither of us were going to get trapped in there as the boat went down. That's a death sentence. We were both on the bow being tossed around, with the radio cord stretched to it's end. "May day, may day. U.S Coast Guard please answer." They finally did. "We are going down soon" I told them. The seas had gotten to a good 12' chop.
"What is your position?" they asked.
"Twenty miles off Lauderdale, heading to Bimini" I yelled back. The tail end of the boat was sinking fast. We were as far out on the bow as we could be. Lou was a little farther. The mike cord only reached so far. I wanted to stay in touch with the Coast Guard. I let them know that we would be in the water. The boat was going down. They said they were putting a plane in the air. That was about it.
The boat filled with water and did a straight up hand stand. Lou & I were tossed into the ocean.
The boat sank like a stone. I was in sweat pants, sneakers and a zippered sweat shirt. I got rid of the sneakers in the water & the sweatshirt. Lou had a leather jacket and boots. He dumped neither. True born Bahamian. We stayed together. No life jackets. Only time we saw air was on a wave. Fifteen minutes later we saw the plane. You can't miss that orange stripe on the Coast Guard plane. They were searching two miles away. I had said twenty miles. We were twenty two. We knew it was only a matter of time. Five minutes later they found us. It wasn't over yet. They buzzed us low and let us know we were spotted. Next a package came out the tail of the plane. It hit the water and inflated. A raft. We tried like hell to get to it. It was taken away by the heavy seas. Not to mention, when we first hit the water, we both saw a big fin. I hope it was a dolphin, but I think it was a shark. So we had that on our mind. The plane did a couple more passes, hoping we could get to the first raft. We couldn't. They figured that out also. The next one almost hit me in the head. They inflate on impact. Which is hard. If it would have hit me, I would have been killed. It inflated and we climbed in. Great feeling. All the stuff was in it. Radio, survival gear. We used the radio and talked to the plane. "We are both fine, thanks." They did a big fly over with the wing wave. Now to get us out of the middle of the gulf stream.
They contacted a tug boat pulling a monster barge north. They were headed to Carolina. They gave them our position. It was on the way. They were the closest. This was fun. They tossed over netting. The seas were getting bigger by the minute. They crept up to us in our little raft. I thought we were going to be pulled under by the big tug. Lou & I jumped for the net and climbed up with all we had. The Coast Guard made them retrieve the raft and also the other one. Rules of the sea, I guess. We were brought to the bridge with blankets over us and hot coffee. They even made us sandwiches. We were both ok. We had lost a boat, but those were a dime a dozen. Lou had never taken off his leather jacket. In the pockets was over thirty thousand dollars. Payment to our friends in Bimini. He started laying it out on the table in the pilot house with the captain at the wheel. Trying to dry it out. It turned a few eyes. I suggested that we take care of the crew. Lou agreed. We gave the captain five hundred dollars, to take the crew out when they hit port. They were very happy. It took a lot of the curiosity away. The Coast Guard had them come close to Lauderdale. They had picked up the other raft. We were transferred to a Coast Guard cutter, along with the rafts. The tug then headed back to Carolina. All the crew looking forward to the party ahead.
We made it to the Coast Guard station in Lauderdale. The news papers were waiting. They had picked up the distress call on the radios. After the Guard was through grilling Lou & I about what were we doing out there... we said just a fun trip. Do some partying in Bimini. Eat some turtle steak I said. We made the front page, pictures and all in the Lauderdale paper and the Miami Herald. They wanted us to sit on the raft. We did. My t-shirt read: 'See Ft. Lauderdale like a native, get beat up by a cop'. The place I got my propellers worked on. His son had had his ass kicked by the local cops. His dad was pissed. He gave out these shirts to his customers. That's Ft. Lauderdale in the early eighties. Peace & Love!
Irie, Big Red
Pirate Story(Chris Larkin)
January the weather was harsh. The same in February. Northwesters, one after the other. The gulf stream between Lauderdale and Bimini was a dangerous fifty miles. The life style we were all living was catching up to us all. Those bottles of Crystale aren't cheap. Let alone the other vices. We had to make a go of it. The weed was piling up in Bimini. The planes had made it in, but the boats couldn't. They only had so much storage space. Big Lou & I had just bought a 27' magnum. We had a 26' open fish too. We headed out of Port Everglades in the early a.m. The sun came up as well as the waves. It was getting ruff fast. We lost sight of the other boat. We found out later he got scared and turned back. Lou & I kept going east. We started taking waves over the bow, one after another. This boat had two 350 chevy inboards. Lot's of weight. The bilge pumps were not cutting it. It was a losing battle. We didn't know the word, go back. Before we knew it the engines were under water. Thank God the batteries were up front. Time to use the radio. Call our arch enemy! The Coast Guard. At this point it was a losing battle. The engines had stalled. The boat was being tossed at the whim of the sea. Lou was 6'8 300# plus. I was 6'2, 240 back then. We both climbed to the bow of the boat. A magnum is all bow. The life jackets were inside. Neither of us were going to get trapped in there as the boat went down. That's a death sentence. We were both on the bow being tossed around, with the radio cord stretched to it's end. "May day, may day. U.S Coast Guard please answer." They finally did. "We are going down soon" I told them. The seas had gotten to a good 12' chop.
"What is your position?" they asked.
"Twenty miles off Lauderdale, heading to Bimini" I yelled back. The tail end of the boat was sinking fast. We were as far out on the bow as we could be. Lou was a little farther. The mike cord only reached so far. I wanted to stay in touch with the Coast Guard. I let them know that we would be in the water. The boat was going down. They said they were putting a plane in the air. That was about it.
The boat filled with water and did a straight up hand stand. Lou & I were tossed into the ocean.
The boat sank like a stone. I was in sweat pants, sneakers and a zippered sweat shirt. I got rid of the sneakers in the water & the sweatshirt. Lou had a leather jacket and boots. He dumped neither. True born Bahamian. We stayed together. No life jackets. Only time we saw air was on a wave. Fifteen minutes later we saw the plane. You can't miss that orange stripe on the Coast Guard plane. They were searching two miles away. I had said twenty miles. We were twenty two. We knew it was only a matter of time. Five minutes later they found us. It wasn't over yet. They buzzed us low and let us know we were spotted. Next a package came out the tail of the plane. It hit the water and inflated. A raft. We tried like hell to get to it. It was taken away by the heavy seas. Not to mention, when we first hit the water, we both saw a big fin. I hope it was a dolphin, but I think it was a shark. So we had that on our mind. The plane did a couple more passes, hoping we could get to the first raft. We couldn't. They figured that out also. The next one almost hit me in the head. They inflate on impact. Which is hard. If it would have hit me, I would have been killed. It inflated and we climbed in. Great feeling. All the stuff was in it. Radio, survival gear. We used the radio and talked to the plane. "We are both fine, thanks." They did a big fly over with the wing wave. Now to get us out of the middle of the gulf stream.
They contacted a tug boat pulling a monster barge north. They were headed to Carolina. They gave them our position. It was on the way. They were the closest. This was fun. They tossed over netting. The seas were getting bigger by the minute. They crept up to us in our little raft. I thought we were going to be pulled under by the big tug. Lou & I jumped for the net and climbed up with all we had. The Coast Guard made them retrieve the raft and also the other one. Rules of the sea, I guess. We were brought to the bridge with blankets over us and hot coffee. They even made us sandwiches. We were both ok. We had lost a boat, but those were a dime a dozen. Lou had never taken off his leather jacket. In the pockets was over thirty thousand dollars. Payment to our friends in Bimini. He started laying it out on the table in the pilot house with the captain at the wheel. Trying to dry it out. It turned a few eyes. I suggested that we take care of the crew. Lou agreed. We gave the captain five hundred dollars, to take the crew out when they hit port. They were very happy. It took a lot of the curiosity away. The Coast Guard had them come close to Lauderdale. They had picked up the other raft. We were transferred to a Coast Guard cutter, along with the rafts. The tug then headed back to Carolina. All the crew looking forward to the party ahead.
We made it to the Coast Guard station in Lauderdale. The news papers were waiting. They had picked up the distress call on the radios. After the Guard was through grilling Lou & I about what were we doing out there... we said just a fun trip. Do some partying in Bimini. Eat some turtle steak I said. We made the front page, pictures and all in the Lauderdale paper and the Miami Herald. They wanted us to sit on the raft. We did. My t-shirt read: 'See Ft. Lauderdale like a native, get beat up by a cop'. The place I got my propellers worked on. His son had had his ass kicked by the local cops. His dad was pissed. He gave out these shirts to his customers. That's Ft. Lauderdale in the early eighties. Peace & Love!
Irie, Big Red
COMMENTS (0)