Wicky
Mr. Potatohead
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2007
- Messages
- 7,953
- Reaction score
- 6,329
Good morning folks, we are very sorry about the lack of fb updates. Our wifi has returned and we are back in effect. So, last time we updated we were having the time of our lives. We had the beginings of an epic trip, as we had 20 fish Over 200 lbs. In just two and a half days of fishing. Things were going absolutely great when captain Kevin informed me that there was a disturbance developing that we were going to really need to watch! This was Friday morning , and as we studied the weather information, we decided to leave the bank Friday evening at the end of the days fishing. The disturbance was moderately powerful, but more importantly was moving very quickly. By leaving at this time, it should have kept us out in front of the storm as we ran to the north and tried to keep a safe distance between us and the heavy weather. As you all know, there are no guarantees in fishing, and all we can do is try, and do our best. Case in point! When we left the dock, there was a clear weather Window, and when we arrived to the bank, the fishing was incredible. Unfortunately, mother nature had a different agenda. As mentioned earlier, we left the bank Friday night with the intention of heading toward mag Bay to seek shelter if necessary. These disturbances are very unpredictable, and even the models and info that we have coming in from the proper Internet sites is always issued as "advisory only" and are not to be used for navigational purposes. The models may show a disturbance tracking one way then six hrs later it's going completely opposite. So all we can do as Captain's is use our experience and knowledge of the ocean to make the safest decisions for our guests and the boat. With that being said, we did all we could do to avoid the weather but ended up being caught by this very rapidly moving system. Saturdays travel was not bad at all, and we were making decent time and still staying ahead of the bad weather. Sunday we could see an increase in the wind and swell coupled with bouts of rain throughout the day. We were still skirting the north northeastern edge of the storm, as we had a mix of info coming in from different sources. We could see the conditions rapidly changing as the storm made some distance on us as we had to alter course and speed as to not damage the boat and keep our most precious cargo safe(our guests). Anyhow, Monday morning I was waken at 0330 for watch and I could feel in the ride, and tell from the eerie howl of the wind that daybreak would bring a very unwelcome sight, and it was going to be a long day. Kevin and I discussed our best option at the time, as we went over the latest info from the National hurricane center, the uscg, and other boats. Long story short is there were no options! The storm had caught us and we were in for a fight! A fight for survival and to keep all aboard safe. Sure enough, as daybreak came, we saw the unpleasant sight of towering waves crashing over the stern of the vessel. The 20 foot waves coupled with 40knots of wind brought a sickening feeling to my stomach as I watched huge growlers break over the stern of the boat and crash thousands of gallons of frothing water onto the back deck. The hurricane center advised us at one point to head west northwest so we did as they said, but upon further review Kevin and I felt this to be a huge mistake cause had one of those giant waves caught us wrong and got us sideways, we felt that we could possibly end up pitch poling the boat and capsizing! We both agreed to turn back into It and take the weather head on! We couldn't run anymore, there was nowhere to run! We tried to wait for an opportune moment but realized that there would be none so we just slammed the throttles down and turned back into the beasts! I thought of the scene in the movie "perfect storm" where they turned around and while we were executing this turn, I have to say that I have never been more nervous in all the years I've been out here. Sure enough, as we were in the middle of the turn a huge wave blasted us from the side and rolled us to a serious angle. I know for a fact that had we been in a lesser vessel we would not have made it, but the big girl recovered and we got our nose pointed back into the growlers!for the next several hrs. Me and Kevin took turns at the wheel navigating through the hazardous conditions while Dave and Sam watched the engine room and kept things on the lower deck as safe as could be. Romo helped us with spotting out the windows in the bridge, as one after another we would power up to the top of the wave then let off on the throttle as we surfed down the backsides. We had waves well over 20 feet as when we were in the pit between swells we would look up, only to find another monster barreling down on us. The hurricane center said we had wind over 50 mph, and they were a great help to us in getting away from the heaviest part of the storm and we are all thankful to them. As of right now we are all safe and sound. The storm has passed and we will begin our trek north tomorrow. We are all thankful to God for helping us out and to the National. Hurricane center, The USCG, and even some of the other long range boats that were kind enough to check on us during this stressful time. We are planning on fishing as the weather allows. Thanks for checking in!
"Team Intrepid "
"Team Intrepid "
