86 Northwest Sportsman AUGUST 2019 | nwsportsmanmag.com
basically run from wave top to wave
top, but the conditions must be just
right. Jim knew this and decided to
give it more gas.
He hit the throttle and got on top
of the first wave – and immediately
launched the boat into the air like a
water skier flying off a jump. The boat
came down hard, knocking the other
two to the floor. Undaunted, he kept
on and plowed the center of the next
wave instead of going over it. That
wave came over the bow and filled
the open bow with water, making the
boat front heavy.
Jim apparently panicked and
pushed the throttle harder and took
another wave head on. This wave
was higher than the windshield and
passed over the heavy bow. It struck
the windshield with such force that it
knocked the glass out of the frames.
Then as the green water passed
through, water and windshield took
out all of his dash electronics. Finally, as
the moving wall of water passed along
the boat, it struck the three people on
board. Jim was hit first, by the glass and
water, and was momentarily dazed.
He had a hold of the steering wheel
but the other two were less preparedand were carried by the water. The
client nearly went over the side but
managed to grasp a seat back with one
hand while balancing on the gunnel.
He hung on well enough to get back
in the boat. Leonard was carried by
the wave to the rear engines and did a
face plant into the main motor. He was
momentarily knocked senseless and
the engine was all that kept him in the
boat. He said he probably had “130”
imprinted on his forehead from the
emblem on the motor. All three were
now soaked and frightened. None had
experienced anything like this.
Jim backed off on the throttle as
the wave passed through. Now they
were at idle with a load of water
sloshing back and forth inside the
boat. Everything was floating and
other waves were lapping at the sides
as they tried to regroup. On the boat,
the distance between the waves and
the top of the boat sides is called the
freeboard. Freeboard went from a
couple feet to just inches with all that
water on board. Fortunately, a few
buckets were floating around and so
they started to bail. The boat was now
sideways to the oncoming waves and
rocking violently as the crew gatheredthemselves. The vessel did have a
bilge pump, but this was way beyond
what the small unit could handle.
Since there were no longer any
other boats in the vicinity, Jim quickly
grabbed the VHF mic and tried to hail
the Coast Guard, shouting “Mayday,
mayday!” But there was no response
as the radio was dead and the antenna
was gone. Their cell phones were also
wet, and out of range anyway.
Using buckets, the client and
Leonard bailed water as Jim turned
the boat south for a slight reprieve
from the rising seas. They were alone,
sea conditions were worsening, they
had no radio to obtain help and
their navigation instruments were
dead also. There was not so much
as a hand-held compass on board
for guidance. If they took on any
more water, they could capsize. And
with land at least 15 miles away, no
one would consider them missing
for several hours. A life jacket was
of little value when hypothermia
in these cold waters was the Devil.
Imminent death by drowning was
racing through their minds. Was
this it? Were they going to die? In
this moment of terror, there was anA storm lashes the Pacific off the Cape Arago Lighthouse near Charleston. (JIM PEX)ROUGH DAYS
AT SEA