[IslandTime]

Better than a good day at work? I just spoke with a good friend and pondered this question after he told me of his bad news. He and his wife took delivery of their brand new Manta catamaran sailboat and had a double engine failure with the new Volvos. The early verdict is that transmission fluid may have been used rather than oil for lubrication- Oops! So much for that Christmas holiday aboard the new boat. So what do you recall as your crappiest day on the water?

[Enriqueg]

I was at the stillstville sandbar with a few girly friends... when from the east the clouds were horribly BLACk not even grey, we said well the wind looks like they are moving south so we stayed put...I fell asleep at the bow, and when i wake up my girlys were waiting for me to wake up ( we did not want to wake you ) well the storme was right there, i was initially boat number 15-16 when i arrived to the sand bar..... at this point i was number 2 the other boat was like a 28ft, with a cabin.......

it hit us har as hell, with my top down trying to keep everyone dry & warm..... impossible the cold water and strong wind breaks my strap on one corner and up it goes...had to stop pring it down then go...... as we were crossing from the sand bar to land the wake man was like 5-6 feet and the water was throwing us everywhere all 6 of us were wet and cold. ( i did not know my nipples could get hard) ( sorry).

I have also been out before hurricanes to enjoy the wind and see the coolness of mother nature,m but this ia hev done with a total on board of 2 people...... no gals...... it is enjoyable... but not the sand bar one...

Enriqueg

[Grillmaster]

Several years ago, I was out for a cruise down the coast on Christmas Day. I was hanging approximately 2-3 miles offshore and was getting ready to head into Port Everglades, when the pinion gear in the gearcase let go.....

Managed to get a tow into the nearest boat ramp rather than waiting for Seatow - Thankfully someone else thought Christmas Day was a good day for a cruise.

Anyways, the gearcase could not be salvaged - there were two awesome blowout points through the case. $3,000 later for a new one and I was good to go...

[Paul P]

sevearl years ago, tournament out of Bay shore L.I. approx 80 mi offshore in the Hudsom Canyon,I was running a 46' Bertram and we pushed our luck and stayed too long in the face of an oncomming storm, we were taking 10-12 on the port bow, green water on the bridge , a long ride home. The boat had 671 naturals and was not the fastest boat around. but could knock down walls of water, From that day forward my respect for Bertram has never faltered

[Grillmaster]

This one is actually worst than the first one I replied with -

I took two co-workers dolphin fishing for their first time and was 25 miles offshore out of Hillsboro Inlet when I saw the makings of a really ugly squall heading toward us from the southwest. I told the guys to bring the lines in and get the outriggers secure because I thought it was going to get ugly real soon.

I started to head back to the inlet and the rain started. The wind picked up and the seas got mean - I guess around 6-8. I limped it toward shore geting drenched the whole way. I would have been drier if I was swimming....

I don't know how long it took to get back to shore, but the wind and the current was so bad, I was between Boca Inlet and Boynton Inlet when I was finally within 2-3 miles of shore. Then I had to head south to Boca Inlet, basically pointing the bow right into the chop...

Finally made it in the inlet, but I was soakedd and freezing at that point.

Funny, I can't figure out why those two never wanted to go fishing again! :wink: