The Salmon Killers - Part 8
Bob Lawless, Port Ludlow, WA
Cheating Death
Each day was like no other. The sea was ever changing,
sometimes flat calm without even a ripple, barely any
surf when she struck the shore. Then I have seen
terrible oceans, waves as high as buildings, waves
called buffaloes because of the white on their backs
suggested the great humps of the bison stampeding, as
it were, in great herds, charging across the ocean's
surface, daring any boat, except the very largest, to
fall before them. They would be crushed beneath their
feet, trampled to death, broken to pieces, to die in
a watery grave, unmarked, alone for ever.
I have been in these seas scared witless, terrified by
every wave, so fearful of the end of my life by drowning
that I could not bare to look behind the boat for fear
of what I might see and quickly panic, losing my nerve,
and then crumbling on shaking knees, to come to rest
in a fetal position near the cabin bulkhead and wait
for the water to come. Once a wave hit me by surprise
from the beam, breaking the cabin door and flinging me
across the deck to crash into the gunnel. I only had
one rib broken. Had I been thrust a bit higher and not
hit the gunnel, I would have been swept to a watery tomb,
alone as I said.
One time, I was into a good bite off the Russian River
and had about $300 of fish on the deck. I was three miles
from port, Bodega Bay, CA., and I was so greedy that I
went on fishing even though I was becoming more and
more concerned about the sea state. The swells were
growing by leaps and bounds, but the bite got even
stronger, however, I finally pulled my gear in spite
of it. It takes me about an hour or more to get all
my gear up and stowed properly. This time I threw hooks,
flashers, leaders and snaps and fish all over the deck,
hurrying as fast as could because the water was ever
deteriorating, I did not know that while I was preparing
to leave for the safety of the bay, six people had
already died, broached by these waves, and they
became alone.
When I finally did get under way, I had these enormous
swells chasing me home. I would ride up to the top and
then be pushed over and surf at high speed to the bottom
only to climb up the back of the preceding swell and
plunge again after the wave behind me caught up and
again I would climb to fearful heights and again plunge,
sometimes through the air, crashing in the trough below
with a great bang and shudder of my poor little boat,
and my knees would shake, face ashen, and dreaming of
port, if only I could stay afloat. The swells came
about every eight seconds and their energy was traveling
at about 50 MPH.
But then I finally reached the safety of Bodega Head,
a massive rock that thrust itself out into the ocean,
taking the full punishment of the sea. I darted behind
it and I threw my head back and laughed hysterically.
I had won. This crazy laughter would be repeated every
time I cheated death. It was something that I did often.
How stupid this all was! ~ BOBLAWLESS
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