[AGL] Wild Evening

[Michael Eisenstadt]

Clark, tell us more about running the Yanmar 20hp diesel
during all this. Would it be possible to have rudder control
from inside the deckhouse?

These are Hairy Tales.

Mike

Clark wrote (worth rereading):

The bay Witch tried to circumcise Mike Hanks and I, yesterday evening, or at
least hasten our suicide. We started about 2:45 PM for Galveston on a
beautiful Halloween afternoon in the newly re-rigged Sea Gypsy, shortly
after the Seabrook bridge, the steering gear broke. Thank God it happened
then rather than later, we broke out the lovely wood tiller and Mike
demonstrated his boat handling ability.

The trip had begun behind schedule, I was nervous as we had dropped my car
in galveston and headed back to Seabrook. Mike had to have a fish sandwich
before we picked up the new sails and I grew even more apprehensive about
the time, Galveston in the dark is less fun.

We were heading dead into the wind, darkness would be vary early, so luckily
we didn't try the new sails. At around five, The radio kept yammering about
the front hitting Columbus, then Katy, Houston, Pasadena, and Seabrook, they
talked about cars slowing to 5 mph and stopping because of lack of
visibility and marine warnings were mentioned. The sky was mighty dark and
beautiful, with funny white streaks behind us.

It began to lightning far away, Mike tried to photograph me steering and the
clouds behind me. He had some fantasy about how close we were to Galveston
so he took the Tiller back after several beers and put me on the compass,
red and green light spotting, we could still see, it was dark but not
unpleasant. Then the shit hit the fan!!!!

Unbelievable wind gusts, six to seven foot waves, Mike screaming for me to
get his phone before it got wet so we could call a Homeland Security
division to save us. I got the phone and put it in my pocket! said turn
North into the wind and we'll ride her out. Mike asks where is North,
starboard or port, and I said into the Wind. We rolled and pitched, thank
God a Watkins is known as a good handling bad weather boat. Fish sandwich
screams, "Captain Foodbeard take the tiller, I better handle the compass in
the cabin," so we swap spots.

I brought her into the wind, it was pitch black, zero visibility, rocking
and rolling, no red lights, no green lights. Mike wants his phone back, I
hand it to him and next thing I know he's got the operator trying to connect
him to the Homeland boys, I scream get off the phone, were under control, a
giant fucking freighter is trying to run us over us, and he replies yes
Captain. The light was getting better, we had obviously found the channel
and it only took us another hour of looking, in rough water, to find the
slip.

We were soaking wet, freezing to death, had been scared shitless (at least
there was no smell) and we got a line tangled in the prop as we maneuvered
for the slip. Oh well, another thirty minutes of line throwing. Mike and I
laughed, Thorn Dryer was suppose to have made the trip with us and we
wondered if he would have been on the bow peering for lights or in a fetal
position in the bow cabin.

Learned a lesson or two.

EL PATRON, Capt. FB