Fishing vessel with Gloucester ties meets with fate again

[Johnny]

Originally Posted by tautog

As RIR stated I had a situation come up where I hesitated stopping for the CG because of the potential of shifting the water. We were coming back from Coxes and I noticed that we were pushing more water in the bow than normal. This was a 65' wooden head boat with 45 pax onboard. I went down below to the 2nd compartment, which was quite large and it was 3/4 full. My guess was that I blew seacock or I opened up a seam. I was 15+ miles off Brenton reef and and the weather was moving in faster than they said. It was a beautiful morning but on the way in it was up to 30+ and this was in Marchcalled my father and he headed out with a 40' utility boat that we had to assist. I was plowing pretty good at this time but felt that I was holding ok at the speed I was doing.I. I had all pax put on lifevests and get out of the cabins on the rails as a precaution. The CG heard my radio talk with my father and headed out. A little south of the #2 bouy off Brenton they wanted me to stop and put crew and pumps on. I told them I was headed for Castle Hill Cove (or a beach) and my judgement was if I stopped the load might shift and I might have a loss of steering and control. I felt good about my decision since I had been 15 miles with no changes. I docked at CHC and after assesing the situation the CG were ok with my decision since it was only one watertight compartment with a problem. It turned out to be a seacock and fortunately for me it was a good ending to what could have been a disaster. Sometimes I think back and question my decision but at the time I felt it was the proper one.

As a ex-head boat captain and 25 years on the water as a commercial fishermen, I feel you judgement was spot on. Taking the action you did kept all your options available to you, burning no bridges. In the late 70's off the pollick rip I head home and I to felt water in the bildges, I slacked of rather quicjkly and almost rolled this old wooden Stonington dragger vessel. I was 20 years old, live and learn.