What's the scariest thing that ever happened to you offshore?

[Hydro]

This kind of goes along with the "What's the strangest thing you ever saw offshore" thread. For me, it had to be over 30 years ago off of Sandy Hook, NJ. My dad and i had taken our 30' Egg Harbor with twin 100 HP Graymarines out on a summer afternoon to scare up some blues or whatnot.

I was about 12 yrs old at the time, and we got caught in a pretty nasty storm only about 5 miles offshore of the Hook. Seas went from 2-3 to 5-7 in minutes. We lost the port engine and decided to head back in. Then we lost the bilge pump. We were taking green ones over the bow and dad decided he better try to fix the bilge pump; so i had to take the helm. He never said anything to me about it, but he handed me one of those orange PFDs and told me to put it on. Needless to say, at 12 yrs old, my seamanship skills in heavy seas were not the best. At one point, i managed to broach the boat and we slid at a 45 degree angle down the side of a particularly large swell. Dad came out of the cabin with a wild look in his eye; he couldn't see what happened, but i guess he felt it. I was so puckered that i could hardly talk. He grabbed the wheel and decided it would be best if he abandoned the bilge pump and just try to hammer us in.

We made it in OK, but i'll never forget that day or the look on my dad's face.

[clamsalot]

In the early 90's my buddy and I were chunkin for blues at "monster ledge" also off the sandy hook/Long branch area. It was a nice day, a bit breezy, but no big deal. We were in my Dusky 23. Just before cutting it off and heading for the barn my reel screams off on what obviously wasn't a bluefish, even though the ones we were catching were upwards of 15 and 16 lbs. No, this thing had all sorts of horsepower.

I quickly tried to rationalize what it might be. Mako? Big brown shark? Blue fin? I didn't know, but I told Tony to pull the anchor, and we'd chase it to find out. So, chase it we did. For over an hour he piloted the boat, while I played tug of war with this beast. To make a long story shorter at one point the line finally parted and the "monster" was gone. In those first few minutes of "darn it, wish we had seen that thing" I put my rod down, sat down and finally "took a look around". Not only had we traveled another couple miles, but the sky to the west of us ( the direction we had to go) was just as black as night, as what can only be described as "the mother of all thunderstorms" was bearing down on us. In that hour and fifteen minutes of chasing our monster, we simply didn't notice what was brewing.

It was too big to go around, we didn't even see any edge to it, so we buttoned up and heading for home which was straight into it. I didn't mind the wind gusts that we figured were 45+, nor the rain that turned to hail and back to rain. But seeing something like 8 or 9 lightening bolts hit the sea anywhere from 100 to 300 yards away, had me white knuckled through the whole ordeal. We made it out the other side of that storm, wet, cold and scared, but we did indeed make it.

Now when I'm anywhere more than 5 miles offshore you can bet I've got every electronic device looking for weather, along with keeping my eyes peeled for those building thunder heads. I don't know if I've ever been that scared before or since.

[auguste]

Going around "Hell's Gate" on the way out to Oregon Inlet and lost steering control . . . busted hydraulic steering piston

[tobnpr]

On the "weather" side, it would have to be a dive trip some years back... only about 12 miles from shore, my buddy and I dropped over the side in clear blue skies. Upon surfacing about 45 mins. later, I was first struck by a line of boats heading full throttle towards shore. Other boats near us that hadn't left were frantically pulling anchor. When I spun around and looked east (towards shore), I saw the rapidly approaching black (and I mean BLACK) sky and lightning flashing everywhere. I realized we had been caught in one of our nasty summertime "boomers" and there was no getting around this one. As the seas built to 5-7 ft and the wind gusts topped 40 we had to alter course of my 22'er to take the seas off the bow. I never had any doubt of my boat being able to handle the seas (but my friend sure had a panicked look in his eyes!). After it all cleared we were some 5 miles north of our intended course, but safe and sound.

On another occasion I was some 25 miles out in my 29' inboard that I had just replaced the shaft. Circling the numbers, I located the intended spot with the sounder and dropped the marker over the side. Coming around, I shifted into reverse to slow the boat and begin our drift when I heard a solid "CLUNK" and then the engine began to rev with no effect on the boat. HMMM, what the heck was that?

Lifted the hatch and saw water pouring in through the shaft's stuffing box, and NO SHAFT!. Turns out I had not dimpled the shaft enough for the set screws to take solid hold of the shaft, and when reversed it just backed out of the coupler! Fortunately, the rudder stopped the shaft from backing out completely and falling to the seafloor. We shoved a rag into the stuffing box and the bilge pump was keeping up with what had already poured in, but there was certainly some panic. A quick trip over the side to shove the shaft forward (Not too easy in 4' seas and no swim platform/ladder!) and we were back in business, though docking back at home was a bit hairy without the ability to reverse

[jwb]

When I was 12 we took delevery of my dad's new 27' sailboat. Weather had been bad the past 2 weekends and the dealer told us he needed the slip. On board was my dad (an officer in the merchant marine), Lou (an ex coastie) my dad's friend Rich ( a proffesional captain who delivered boats) amd me and my bother. We had to go thru Jones' Inlet to go around Long island and go thru N.Y.C. and home to Long Islnad's north shore. When we approached the inlet all I saw was white water everywhere. My dad and his friends debated on what to do. As they were deciding a guy comes in in a 13' whaler. We asked him what was it like and he just shook his head. Looking back we didn't know if he actually came thru the inlet, started out and turned around or came thru the shallows. Anyway we decided if he could make it in that little boat, we could in our boat. So we all put on life jackets, closed all hatches and powered out. Now this boat was a Catalina 27, inboard engine, slept6 and had 6' interior head room. We were going into the waves and it was wind over tide. First large wave was about 15'. As we were laughing, next wave was about 25' and steep. The boat just punched thru it and became airborne on the other side. As we dropped about 7' Rich dropped back down into the boat and shattered his shoulder. My brother landed on a stanchion and bent it. The engine died and the cockpit was full of water.I restarted the engine and we determined we couldn't turn around fast enough so we kept going. As we cleared the inlet it was about 10' rollers outside. We radioed the coasties who had to take Rich off the boat and to the hospitle. Lucky for him he had kidney stones and had some painkillers on board. By the time the coasties came he was able to jump from our boat to thiers. Many lessons learned that day.

[606zpx]

There ain't nothing lucky about having kidney stones! Sounds like a rough time.

[swrock]

I was one of a five man crew on a shrimp boat that sunk, at night, during a storm.

[YoungersGhost]

S. Poormans, 85NM from home, 12 midnight. Aft bilge pump cycling on and off. Check bilge, water coming from raw water intake on genny. Cracked seacock. Aft pump barely keeping up. Motored home at 12 kts. Due to poor fuel economy at that speed, ran out of fuel in the inlet.

Diving off the breakers in PB. Do a drift dive in 85'. Solid 6's on the surface. End the dive, surface......no boat. Drifting toward NC @ 3 kts. Too far to swim. Out of air.

Boat blew a PS hose (squirrel damage). USCG rescued us.

[MI Ben]

I want to hear more details about that one, seachaser, sounds like a nightmare.

[Elusive]

Fishing out of OC MD at Washington Canyon and about mid-day, the weather alert on the VHF goes off. Look at the radar & the storm that's coming our way doesn't look good (nothing forecasted). Pull the lines & start heading in and about 30 miles out all he!! breaks loose - wind, rain & lightning. The boat is big enough to handle it, 52' Hat, but the lightning is cracking all around and this boat has a huge tower. All I can think is that we must be the most perfect lightning rod ever and am CONVINCED that lightning will hit the tower & disable the boat. Never talked to the big man on the water before, but he got us home safe.

[YankeeBoater]

Only time I have had any trouble was in a lake Several ex-college buddies were meeting up at a big unfamiliar wilderness lake at night for a canoe camping trip. When one friend arrived, I suggested we reconnoiter the lake to try to find the island to camp that first night while waiting for other guys. There was a big storm going on, with fog, heavy rain and winds, and perhaps 3 foot waves - visibility was about 100 feet max, and we had no PFD's. Turns out my friend hadn't been canoeing before, and he had heard that you should roll *with* waves. Not long after we found the island, the canoe took a big wave broadside and he did his maneuver - we went over so fast I inhaled water. Waves were going over our heads and we couldn't see the island anymore. We floated and kicked the submerged canoe in the general direction I believed it to be for 15 minutes and was fortunately correct.

[endoman]

Stuffed 'er good 40 miles east of Bimini last June.
We were 30 seconds from deploying the EPIRB and liferaft.
Tropical Storm Arlene showed up early in the Bahamas, seas went from 2-3 to 8-10 without warning.
Thank God for extra bilge pumps and good scuppers.
And double thanks to a fellow forum member for lending us his liferaft.

[winn peeples]

seachaser - 1/2/2006 10:04 AM

I was one of a five man crew on a shrimp boat that sunk, at night, during a storm.

What kind of shrimper was it? I used to work on the Landry Boat Works 85' below

[animalpharm]

1980's in the Bering Sea, 20 miles offshore. I was a commercial gillnet salmon (sockeye) fisherman, well deckhand. We were running from point A to point B in a 32 foot aluminum fishing boat, built like a tank, somedays we'd load up with 20,000 pounds of fish, single diesel inboard. Sea's were huge, empty holds, blowing like a son of a bitch, I can only estimate 8 footers, short period. We were going right into them, pounding, for hours, the boats are built tough, but I was getting concerned. While I was in the bunk trying to sleep (yea right, more like scared - Sorry, I will learn to watch my language -less) as we would come off a wave you would get thrown into the ceiling as you are still traveling up, but the boat is traveling down. When I took the helm, it was pitch black, we took a few hard waves and the engine cut off. I'm thinking this is the end, we're going to die, the boat is going to be sideways into the waves and were finished. Captain comes running up to see what is going on, and quickly determines the VHF handpiece fell out of its holder, above head, and happened to turn the ignition key off. Luckily boat restarted and we made the trip OK.

Other occaisions involved another crazed fisherman, pulling up to our boat, weilding a knife and running around yelling he is going to kill us. He thought we set our net too close to his, which, actually he was right. But the response was a little much.

Another occaision happened quite a bit. Ramming other fishing boats. We cracked and put holes in a few fiberglass boats, with our anchor on the bow, kind of like a battering ram. Lot's of yelling and screaming ensued. Off season court sessions and fines. That is fishing on the North line in Egegik.

[bigtuna]

75 miles out in the gulf in 266 world cat. Backing into 4 fters trying to pull a big amberjack off the rig. Forgot to put the o ring seal back on the bilge access hatch. Water started coming in the boat though the unsealed hatch when we were backing off the rig. Did not notice until the water was so high tha it shorted out both bilges. By this point, my feet were cold from the water under the deck. Water started showing up in the dry storages. Back of the boat was so low at this point the unsealed hatch was under water just constantly taking water on. Slammed the twin 225 hondas. Couldn't get on step. The boat is going down and we have two 12 year old girls on board. Hit the throttles again, nothing. Seas had now built to 5-6 ft. Got back there with a portable bilge and was able to get enough water out to get back on step. Had to drive 75 miles back in without stopping. Called someone from the pass to put the trailer in the water and drove it right on there without ever stopping. One more stop, and there isn't a doubt in my mind we were going down. Scary deal. Gotta always have those boats in ship shape when you go offshore. Things can go sour real quick

[fourdfish]

After reading these, mine is not really scary!

[Reel Boobs]

Good thread! It always makes me look at boating more seriously, when I hear the nightmare stories. I take so much for granted, that I need a good dose of the "what ifs" to keep me an the ball. Thanks, and keep them coming.

[NCDave]

One of my scariest offshore adventures involved a kid's aluminum t-ball bat.

We keep one on board to "tame" rowdy fish.

My bud caught a fish that needed tammin', so I help'd him by takin his reel/rod for him while he got out the bat. So I'm standin to his right and he takes a swing at the fish in a back-hand motion from left to right with his right hand completely misses the fish and slams me square in the "jimmy"... sounded like a jai-lai ball caught in a basket (nice pop with a slight crunchy sound).

Needless to say,,, that was pretty scary as I crap'd blood for about 2 day's and didnt know if ole "lefty" was gonna make it.

I wont even bother mentionin' some of the "gaff follies"...

[Hydro]

Note to self - be very polite if happen to be fishing the Bering Sea.

[swrock]

winn peeples
that landry hull is beautiful. don't see too many wood hull big shrimpers around any more.

the boat we were on was a 45' wood hull Biloxi lugger.
looked alot like the old snapper boats, with the house on the stern.