Burning Boat

[artemis]

We all know about fire, water, and boats - and each of us have probably had some experience(s) with same. Here's one that was in my email box this morning, forwarded to me from a friend who knows the writer. Read and remember to make your daily offering to the Sea God:

JACK STERNHAGEN

March 07, 2008 at 11:13AM AKST

For The Dutch Harbor Fisherman

'I just heard a crazy story from a buddy of mine whose commercial fishing boat caught on fire this spring on the southeast side of Kodiak.

'The captain and owner was Kirk Van Doran, otherwise known as "Carcass" from his wilder days when that's what he looked like after a rough night out on the town.

'His boat was called the Heather K, but he often referred to as the "Hundred K" because of how much he had invested in it.

'He had two deckhands, one of which was Leyland Stafford, otherwise known as "Coach" because of his involvement in coaching kids in sports.

'One night, carbon built up in the exhaust stack and set the stack on fire. The fire spread throughout the boat. After fighting it for a while, they realized it was pointless to continue as the fire began to consume the vessel.

'Carcass shut down the engine in the engine room but couldn't get to the wheelhouse to pull the boat out of forward gear because of all the smoke. Instead he concentrated on getting the life raft inflated and deployed in the ocean. Carcass, Coach and another deckhand jumped in the life raft.

'They breathed a sigh of relief as they turned on the EPIRB – emergency positioning locator beacon – and waited for the U.S. Coast Guard helicopter to home in on the device and rescue them.

'They quickly cut the 100-foot line tethering the life raft to the Hundred K and threw the knife over so it wouldn't pop the raft. Then they paddled away from the boat as fast as they could to escape the heat and smoke. Soon they were about 100 yards away.

'As they floated anxiously in the raft they heard a rumbling in the distance. They watched in awe as the smoking vessel they had just evacuated bore down on them in a blaze of fire and a heavy cloud of toxic smoke.

'The fire had burnt through the ignition wires and hotwired the motor while they were in the life raft, and the flaming unmanned boat started chasing them in the life raft as if it was possessed by demons.

'They paddled like crazy and it just missed running them over. They cheered and high-fived each other as they watched the floating inferno chug away in a pall of black smoke and roaring flames.

'Just as they were getting their breath back from their exertions they heard the growling of the diesel engine coming behind them again. It had gone in a circle and was heading straight for the tiny raft again.

'Coach and the other deckhand were paddling in the front of the raft while Carcass sat in the rear in helpless frustration as he watched the two befuddled seadogs paddling in opposing directions.

'The two steersmen had had a contentious halibut season on the Hundred K and had often bickered over trivialities.

'Now that their lives were in danger they were still arguing.

'"This way!" Coach shouted as he paddled on one side of the bow of the raft.

'"No ... this way!" the other deckhand screamed as he paddled in the opposite direction.

'"Come on guys, get it together!" yelled Carcass as the Hundred K tried to kill them.

'Well, the boat narrowly missed them once again and the exhausted crew lay in the raft in dazed confusion as they coughed the nasty smoke out of their tortured lungs.

'No sooner had they recovered their wits when they were abruptly brought out of their stupor by the sound of the angry engine coming behind them again as the Hundred K bore down on them like a wrathful work of the devil.

'This time they paddled in unison and cheered as the boat cleared them by 80 feet or so.

'Their congratulations were cut short by a sharp jerk on the life raft as the "fish" caught on the tether and started towing them behind the burning inferno!

'A fish is a device hung from a chain off the side of the boat from the stabilizing poles to stop the boat from rolling too much. It is otherwise known as a stabilizer.

'The fish had entangled in the tether line and they were being towed 100 feet behind the smoking monstrosity formerly known as the Heather K in a searing blaze of smoke and fire.

'Having thrown their knife in the water they had no way to cut through the line and were contemplating a terrible death as they watched the life raft began to melt.

'But they were resourceful fishermen, and one of them had the idea of lighting an emergency flare and using the flame to burn through the line.

'The flare tactic worked. They shouted and cheered once again as they heard the engine finally give up the ghost. It rumbled and sputtered and finally died.

'The crew spent a few worried hours in the raft. Luckily, the Coast Guard homed in one of the deckhands' personal EPIRB, because the $1,500, brand new one Carcass had just bought didn't work!

'There was a write-up about it in the Kodiak paper but here's the "rest of the story," as related to me by Carcass yesterday. He said it was just like being in an episode of "The Twilight Zone."'

Jack Sternhagen has fished and crabbed the Bering Sea for 22 years. He currently lives in Dutch Harbor.

[safewalrus]

Hell! 'bout all I can say! Teach the buggers to ditch the knife!! never go to sea without a knife on your person - somewhere (two's better, as well as the old gutting knife in the back pocket)

[Ike]

Geez. I was thinking the same thing. Never go on a boat without a knife. Not some cheesy flimsy pocket knife either. Something substantial in a good pouch on your belt where you can reach it quickly. Something with a good blade that doesn't corrode and holds an edge. The Coast Guard required us to carry a knife when working on deck. I still have my buck model 110 and a buck sailors knife with a fid. I have seen hands and fingers saved because the person was carrying a good knife.

In addtion there should be one in the raft and one in your abandon ship kit.

ANyway, sorry about the tirade. Good story. Something to tell their grandkids when they are snowed in.

[safewalrus]

Too damn true Ike, makes you wonder though! I can understand some yottie who's a broker in real life not having a knife, but a fisherman (no three of them)????? Hell, me I feel more naked without a knife, than I do without clothes! Guess it comes of some 37 years at sea in various guises, but hell I wouldn't go out the door without a knife, and that's just into the garden, never mind down the boat!!

[artemis]

Originally Posted by safewalrus

Too damn true Ike, makes you wonder though! I can understand some yottie who's a broker in real life not having a knife, but a fisherman (no three of them)????? Hell, me I feel more naked without a knife, than I do without clothes! Guess it comes of some 37 years at sea in various guises, but hell I wouldn't go out the door without a knife, and that's just into the garden, never mind down the boat!!

Gotta agree with you wally. I started hanging out around boats when I was nine and my step-father was a commercial fisherman in Everett, Wahington (Puget Sound country). Went commercial fishing as far north as SE Alaska. Did a little deckhand work on small tug boats in the Seattle area in the 1970s. Even today, don't leave the house without a sharp knife in a belt holster. Know a number of people in those trades that would be minus fingers, hands, etc. if they hadn't carried a sharp knife - including me.

[Frosty]

I hope its a safety knife, You know one of those that you cant cut yourself with. I think knifes are very dangerous and you can cut your balls of very easily, er I think its called 'catastrophe'

Yes you should definately have a safety knife , one that you can cut anything with.
I would rather have one of those attachments for getting stones out of horses hoofs. I would'nt leave the house without one.

[artemis]

Originally Posted by Frosty

... Yes you should definately have a safety knife , one that you can cut anything with.
I would rather have one of those attachments for getting stones out of horses hoofs. I would'nt leave the house without one.

I can understand the necessity of that... mules and horses are the prime means of transport - and food - in third world countries.

[Ike]

Over on the WoodenBoat Forum we had an interesting thread on knives, http://www.woodenboat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=72903

I always have a pocket knife on me. But these days you have to be careful where you go packing a knife of any size. Airplanes are a no no. But when I am on a boat I always have my buck 110. I don't use it for anything else. I have seen one of these slice through a taut 2 inch hawser in a matter of a few seconds. It saved a guys hand. His fingers were broken but he still has them. The main thing is to keep it sharp as a razor. If you have other rope work or knife work to do, use another knife. Keep the one knife for emergencies only.

[Frosty]

Originally Posted by artemis

I can understand the necessity of that... mules and horses are the prime means of transport - and food - in third world countries.

I should be so lucky mules and horses!!! No we have just bullocks and cart mostly, and there always the ubiquitous elephants for the heavy jobs.

"Jaganda" my elephant is getting old now but the bottom of her feet are still smooth so shes still good for a few more years of work before she goes to the reserve that is maintained mostly by American tourists.

Shes had 4 offspring 2 cows and 2 bulls,--1000 dollar each. Enough for a deposit on the new BMW.

[safewalrus]

But don't let them 'deposit' on the BMW!

If you have a sharp knife you'd have no problems with the 'bullocks' - you've said it yourself!

[timgoz]

A friend in SE Alaska, (Wrangel at the time), woke one morning, fired the propane cooker for java, and had the boat explode around him. Survived with 80% skin loss and a missing right eye. Cat had all it's hair blown off but lived also. Thats why I prefer a diesel stove.

[safewalrus]

Right Tim; wha?????????

where did that come from?

[charmc]

Originally Posted by safewalrus

Right Tim; wha?????????

where did that come from?

Safie, look up, mate. Top of the thread, that's it. See the thread title? Burning boat? I think Tim was telling another tale of a boat that burned.

I knew we Irish and Scots were more handsome than you Cornies, but I guess we're smarter, too!

[safewalrus]

Yer! Us baint be that stoopid, just act it!

Now I know the title of the thread, it's just kinda sudden that we jumped from one burning boat to another - there again I guess you would, jump sunddenly if the boat was burning I mean!!

[artemis]

Originally Posted by safewalrus

Yer! Us baint be that stoopid, just act it!

Now I know the title of the thread, it's just kinda sudden that we jumped from one burning boat to another - there again I guess you would, jump sunddenly if the boat was burning I mean!!

But from one burning boat to another? Kinda like from the frying pan into the fire isn't it?