What is the worst situation that you have been in at sea?

Question

I've worked on the water front for over a decade and have heard many harrowing stories.

What is yours?

Answer 1

This was not at sea but on a large river in Louisianna on hot summer day.About five people were on a small fishing boat in the middle of the lake when the boat started taking on water, it was coming in fast and we started bailing. about that time a bad thunder storm came up. The motor would not start ,the back of the boat was sinking and all around us were alligators watching us!! A friend of mine took oar to keep the alligators from the back of the boat. We were saved by a passing boat who towed us in at the last moment.

Answer 2

For me, a life long boater now 60 yrs old, with 35 years holding a USCG Captain license - it happened while I was cruising down the Mississippi.  It was a Captain's worst nightmare... the most frightening, harrowing, terrifying, feared and miserable experience of all... my mother-in-law was on-board!

lol

Answer 3

In 1967, I was aboard a US NAVAL TRANSPORT SHIP in the western Pacific.   We were over taken by a tsunami, our captain determined we could not out run the giant tsunami wave, so he turned into the wave.   He had all personnel tie themselves into their bunks, battened down all hatches, and as the tsunami wave bore down onto the bow of the ship, I, tied down into my bunk, felt the bow of the ship go down under the wave.   At one point, I felt that the entire ship was going straight down at a 90 degree angle.    The sensation lasted for about 5 to 10 minutes.   As my head was toward the bow of the ship, I was virtually upside down.     The pressure on my body was emence.   I have to admit, I was a scared 19 year old, on my first voyage at sea.   After what did seem like forever, the ship's attitude ceased a downward plunge, and began to level out, then started to rise toward the surface again behind the tsunami wave, it had passed over us.    When the ship broke the surface, reports were that the entire ship had gone under the wave, and had avoided sinking, by nosing into the crest of the tsunami wave.   As the ship came up, it supposidly completely came out of the water, like a porpoise.   When it came back down onto the water, it felt like we had hit concrete.  The jar was enough to knock the breath out of me.   Once the threat was over, we all assembled topside to evaluate damage,  we had lost all of our small craft (landing boats, skippers motor launch, and tons of loose equipment that had not been prepaired for the situation.  No lives were lost, some crew members were knocked about, and there was a lot of damaged equipment strewn about.   My captain, using his decision to nose into the tsunami, instead of letting it crash down on us saved, the ship and the lives of our crew.   It was reported, that the crest of the tsunami, was 30 to 50 feet above the deck of the ship when the ship nosed into the wall of the crest.   My ship was over 300 ft long, and carried a crew of approximately 400 crewmen.   My memory of the situation is still very strong.   I am now 60 years old, and know, that had the captain not taken the action he chose, I would not be here to tell my story.

Answer 4

My worst situation at sea happened when overseas. Living in New Zealand, I began racing on a very fast local sailboat. New Zealand weather is well known to be some of the worst in the world, as there is nothing between NZ and Antarctica to slow the fierce storms. The local races were always undertaken with the knowledge that the weather could change in an instant. The day's race started in a typical fashion. Our race crew had heaps of experience and worked well together, so we had a great start in moderate winds. Running down the bay some time later, we saw what looked like a giant cloud coming at us - fast. Suddenly the wind tripled, from about 15 knots to well over 40 - storm conditions. Boats around us were blowing their spinnakers, and more than one mast was lost. Our well-oiled crew kept the boat intact and under control, but only just. The skipper went down below to check on the boat, and came back up with the worse news I've ever heard:

"We're out of beer."