[AGL] Wild Evening

[Clark Santos]

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
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