Friends,
A Short Story!
The year was approximately 1986 or 1987!
My Old Room-Mate after my first divorce from when I lived at what was then Harbor Landing Apartments at Dog River Bridge and I decided to fishing!
Julio and I would have quite the day in my old red and white boat with a rotten keel cable and pulley steering with a 100 Horsepower 1962 Johnson Outboard hung on the back of the rotten stern- literally!
I'm not sure how we got the trailer to Dauphin Island but we did get it too Dauphin Island where we launch the old boat!
At Billy Goat hole my friends of all places! If you have launched there you understand the congestion.
I had three or four gas tanks in the boat to feed the old Johnson and she purred like a kitten!
Julio and I headed out Billy Goat Hole into a stiff easterly breeze and bow to stern boat traffic. A heavy chop loomed ahead for me to see!
I waved at the Coast Guardsman standing on the dock at the Dauphin Island Coast Guard station as we passed heading east toward the jettied pass.
Then all Hell broke loose!
Then damn old wire coated cable steering broke for God Sakes! I think in retrospect it slipped out of a clamp.
The boat instantly turned due South into the rock sea-wall only a few yards away! It was only a few feet for Christ Sakes and the bow was up as high as I could have it without planning off. Yall it was most likely 1/4 throttle that damn boat probably would run 60 mph but who knows! I was trying maintain idle-speed only and at some point coming out of that pass you have to put the bow up on a small boat!
I told Julio hug the damn the engine and turn turn it straight into the waves ****** now man or were gonna die!
He cussed me back but I don't know what he said as I said "turn that damn engine til I'm straight in the waves so I control the damn throttle!"
There was much more instruction and to Julio's credit he did as I asked or we would have been in the water on the barnacles. I never have climbed a slimy, barnacle covered sea-wall. I hope I never have too!
What I was trying to do was keep us off the rocks at speed into those waves until a boat could pass us so I could have Julio turn us around behind the next boat and with me at the throttle he wouldn't be thrown out of the boat!
I operated Hydraulic Horizontal Foundation Drilling Equipment at the time and I had already flipped my Jon Boat as a child. A steady experienced hand at the throttle was my first thought!
We turned around and I never had the chance to look the Coast Guards way but we anchored in Billy Goat Hole and fixed the cable.
I always carried my tool box with me!
After fixing the cable we fired the old Johnson with Electric Gear Shift in the foot and push button forward, reverse and neutral up and headed back out the pass waving at the Coast Guard as we passed.
I wanted to salute em for not putting me jail!!!!!
It was rough as hell east of Fort Gaines that day but we made the arc around the Fort and headed west.
No radio. No fish finder. Hell I don't think we had a paddle. Damn sure had no kill switch.
No fire-extinguisher. No life jackets on and no cell phone that I recall!
Many times you don't have time for the damn Cell Phone especially not NOW! A smart-phone will get you killed out there in that Gulf!
We ran on down west and passed between Sand Island and the Dauphin Island Pier and South-East-
Looking for birds.
We found the birds and put a few Spanish in the Boat a little further out from the beach and we put a king in the boat! Maybe Two.
Every time we went over a wave I could see the wave coming down the keel! Rolling right along!
I'm not sure if Julio knew what that meant but I did and we went on further out and then all hell broke loose again!!!!!
I reached back to change fuel tanks in the 15' Boat knelling on one knee as Julio steered us into the swells!!
Trolling for fish all the while.
I pulled the only fuel fitting I had off the tank fitting and damn!!!
The spring loaded ball popped out and landed on top of a swell a few yards from the boat!!
My jaw dropped!!!!!!!!!!
I looked around real quick to see if anyone was looking but we were down in the trough of a swell!
I pulled out my pocket knife cut the old fitting off and stuck the hose in the next tank just before the engine quit and we got side-ways in those damn swells and capsized. It would have surely happened my friends cause I knew that boat. The old girl just wasn't up to being dead in the water sideways in that high of a swell!
I had an Anchor but did I have enough rope to keep the bow up?
My friends another reason I never change fuel tanks in boat traffic or a narrow angry pass!
I pumped the bulb and the old gas guzzling honey kept purring like a kitten.
Sweat pouring off my nose!
I told Julio "Hand me another Budweiser Man"!
We proceeded to fish!
Julio and I landed a couple of beautiful Jacks and by then I was so drunk we headed back to Sand Island where I took a nap in the Sand!
I woke up sober and blistered not the first time in my young life at the time that's for sure but Julio wasn't sober cause he just wanted to go home!!! Who knows he might have found a girl! I hope he did now looking back from almost the age of 48 for Christ Sakes!
We stopped at my parents house to show off the when they lived on Hollinger's Island then headed back to mine and Val's trailer in Sea Pines Trailer Park on Dauphin Island Parkway after another successful and exciting day in the Gulf of Mexico!!!!!
No good sense at all cause I fixed what I thought was wrong and out the next week-end I went!
I would share the pictures but my ex-wife has them. I'm sure one day maybe she will give some of them back. I hope. I just haven't asked enough!
Please take a spare everything and your tool box!
I wouldn't go that unprepared or in that boat again if you put a gun to my head!!!
I hope you enjoyed the story my friends!
I hope you have found a business, product, service or something you would like to have yourself on the advertising page. If your looking for something please let me place a wanted advertisement on that site for you.
If you do need Marine Supplies, Marine Engine Parts or Boat Trailer Parts please browse the pages section located in the right side-bar of the web-version of this site!
If you don't find the items you are looking for please stop by or give me a call and I'll do my best to get it for you!
The Goal is to save you some time and money!
I'm slowly working to be in a position to increase my "Athletic Gifts and Nautical Gifts" inventory as well! Please browse the pages Section of my Home Blog and the Gulf Coast Girls site as those items are featured on those pages in that order.
Please keep in mind the "Pages" Section is located in right side-bar of the web-version of each of the 3 sites I feature products "For-Sale" on that I inventory here at Battleship Marine.
Listed below are some of the Categories of Marine Supplies that are "Available" to me here at Battleship Marine by my Wholesalers that are "Available" to you!
*Electronics
*Navigation Equipment
*Electrical Supplies
*Lighting Supplies
*Marine Batteries
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Again thank you for visiting Battleship Marines web-site's and please do give me a call or stop by if I can be of Service to you!
Please Visit Battleship Marine I would sure appreciate it yall!
Have a Safe and Enjoyable 2014 Boating and Fishing Season! Commercial Fishing and Boating Customers are Welcome as well.
God Bless, Peace, Love and Knowledge!
Floyd Clifton Wooley
Fuel Fittings, filters and Clamps not to Mention a Tool Box!
Single Cable Steering or Hydraulic Steering!
All of your Safety Supplies including a VHF or your Cell-Phone in a "Dry-Bag".
Last Time I was in the Gulf I couldn't even take my Smart-Phone out of the Dry Bag it was raining so hard. Take that as you may. I had to keep my boat afloat and my Evinrude running at all costs!
