Old Timer stories, adventures, scares, etc.

Moved here to not hijack the other thread.

Hope many of you can tell us some old adventures - Looking at YOU Don Paul!

This thread (Sailing and Diving around the World on-going thread) brings back a lot of memories when I was a kid living in the Canal Zone. Accepted as a crew member on a 55 foot Cutter Rigged Sailboat (metal hull) going to be delivered to the owner in Southern California with a young Captain and his girlfriends plus 3 other crews members. Boat was bought in Florida and we were going to sail her to the owner in L.A. Must have been 1962 just out of High School. Note: My Mom who is 99 said it wasn't 1962 it was 1961 right after you graduated from H.S.

Went pretty well until we got to Acapulco when we lost the small auxiliary diesel engine. Made it to Mazatlan where two crew left us to return to the U.S. and the 4 of us sailed to Cabo San Lucas where we anchored in front of the long pier that was used to unload sardines used by the fertilizer plant that was next to the pier. There was nothing else in the small fishing village. I was the sole diver and provided food by spearing fish and catching lobsters that I traded in town for rice and eggs. There were no hotels or stores other than small Mom & Pop grocery stores. I used to body surf with sea lions on the little tiny beach on the Pacific side of the now famous rocky point. There was NOTHING else in Cabo then. I had the entire bay to myself for spearfishing and catching lobsters.

We were in Cabo for three weeks with no aux engine and all attempts to leave and sail north were unsuccessful due to winds and currents. This was late August/September (Corrected to 1961). One more crew had to leave to return to school leaving the Captain (young man in his 20's) and his girlfriend - both from SoCal and me. I kept us fed with my French Arbalete speargun diving the pier and shore out to the famous (now) point/end of Baja.

All was well until a hurricane was making its way up the coast and we decided to return to Mazatlan where there was a safe harbor since Cabo's harbor was unprotected and faced south were the hurricane was storming up the coast. We left in good conditions with swells growing by the hour and made it out a few miles before getting becalmed. We moved up and down in the gradually getting larger swells to where the swells would raisel over us when we were in the trough. With three of us we of course took turns on watch/wheel.

I had the evening watch and had just been relieved and crashed in the forward port side bunk in my shorts ...........

TBC gotta run to see my neurologist for my back.

Scary situation ESPECIALLY with Willy on board (age 3) who had no control over the situation. I know I fear for others, especially kids, over myself. I came within a millimeter of drowning off the coast of Colombia but that is in part 3 or 4 or maybe 5 my sailing stories/saga (pure undulated luck to survive)

Gotta run to son's soccer game but next part of my story on sailboat trip from Panama to California was surviving a hurricane on a sailboat - didn't think we were going to make it. Up next. :@

Son's Soccer game was canceled this rainy wet Sunday morning, newspaper is read, 2nd coffee is next to me so thought I would describe something I hope none of you needs to experience - being hit by a hurricane at sea on a sailboat.

As I said in first post, the trip was uneventful for the most part - Cutter Rigged Sailboat pointed well, we had good working sails and until we were approaching Acapulco - a good auxiliary diesel engine. We only stopped a few times prior to Acapulco - Coiba Island for me to spearfish for fresh food, Punta Arenas in Costa Rica, then nothing until we were in Mexican waters. In 1961 the political and security issues in Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala were a concern so we sailed past these countries. I do fondly recall seeing hundreds, if not more, of migrating Whale Sharks off the coast of Guatemala heading north. For those unfamiliar with the Pacific along Central and lower north America - strong off shore winds blow off the mountains providing excellent winds off the starboard beam for our trip north. We had little need for the engine until we were on the approach to Acapulco and started having problems. Expecting to need lots of diesel fuel for the long stretches without ports north of Acapulco - we bought 2-3 55 gallon barrels of diesel fuel and stored them on deck - a major mistake as we would learn later.

We had no electronics outside of a directional marine radio and carried a sexton and decent coastal charts. That's it. Storm/hurricane warnings and tracking in the early 60's was nonexistent. After 2 weeks in Acapulco we headed north with our auxiliary diesel engine "fixed" to Puerto Valarta - puerto Vallarta was just a small town in 1961 and we were just there to get fresh water since we were running behind schedule to take advantage of good winds and currents for the run up Baja. Unfortunately our engine gave out again and we had to sail into Mazatlan and through the breakwater without an engine. We spent a week in Mazatlan and provisioned the boat for the long haul to Southern Califorinia and again"fixed" the auxiliary engine and set sail for Cabo San Lucas and then north to SoCal. There were four of us on board but we lost one more crew on arrival in Cabo who had to return to school leaving three of us on board.

As stated previously in last post - we ended up anchored in Cabo for three weeks with broken engine and missed the ideal conditions for the run north. We tried numerous times to leave Cabo but ended up having to return for lack of wind. All attempts to reach the owner of the sailboat (Duet) were for naught. He apparently got into financial difficulties and essentially abandoned us and the boat. We even made a run to La Paz looking for engine parts to no avail. After three weeks in Cabo we get word from fishermen that a strong storm/huuricane/Tabasco was headed north and we should leave Cabo for safety. We decided to return to Mazatlan where the harbor was protected. We sailed out and headed East by Southeast and were quickly becalmed in huge swells coming from the south. We floated up and down and we had our mainsail and two jibs up flopping in the wind (another big mistake) when I was relieved of my watch at midnight and went forward and crashed on the fore port bunk falling asleep immediately.

Not sure of the time - but I was thrown from the bunk onto the port side where there was a port hole - the sounds, fury, and angle of the boat, me coming from a deep sleep - all I could think was we're we're going under. I crawled through the bat to the cockpit and found the captain, his girlfriend, trying to reef the mainsail, while the boat was keeled heavily to port with a wall of water flying over our heads and the wind howling through the rigging. We quickly tied our selfs to the boat with a line (there are no ropes on a sailboat - only lines) and gave up trying to reef the mainsail - impossible anyway, and just try to steer the boat quartering into the waves.

It was surreal - the wind was so strong that it was whipping the top of the swells/waves throwing a layer of water above our heads as if we were underwater, we were now very worried about the 55 gallon barrels full of diesel fuel tied along the starboard and port stanchions forward of the cabin so the captain tied himself to a long line and attempted to crawl forward to cut them loose. He failed - too rough, too windy, too much water, too dangerous.

Too much was happening to feel fear but I was sure the boat would sink and I started to question how I could survive in water that rough. We did put on life jackets but they would not of helped much in those conditions.

I have no sense of time but it wasn't long that things started to come apart. First the main sail shredded starting on the roach - as one of the lines holding the outer jib broke taking the jib away. This was followed by the 55 gallon fuel barrels tearing across the deck taking the stanchions along with them. Fortunately the mainsail lines held leaving the heavy dangerous Boom secure and with sails being shredded, the pressure on the mast reduced - fortunately becasuse our mast held.

The night passed slowly with the three of us in our underwear (roused from our bunks) huddled together, cold,, wet, scared tied together and to the boat wondering if we would survive the night.

Dawn broke grey, cold, with rough seas with diminished but still strong winds and fortunately no shore to run aground on - with the realization that we're probably not going to sink. As it got a little lighter we saw the decks were cleared, only a small jib was left and main jib was gone and mainsail was mostly gone with strips left on the mast and boom. We stayed huddled until the winds died down enough and waves diminished enough to allow us to cut away and clear the stanchions and tattered sails and lines and clear the deck of dangerous loose stuff that could hurt us.

We hove to with a jury rigged sea anchor as evening fell and started preparing to jury rig the sails to make it into Mazatlan the next day. We jury rigged a big jib at daybreak the following day. We had no idea were were were and it was dark grey ugly day as we lifted the sea anchor and made our way east until we saw shore line then turned south knowing we were blown far north into the Sea of Cortez by the storm.

It was late in the afternoon under dark stormy clouds when we saw the breakwater and port of Mazatlan and limped in under stormy seas/skies and anchored in the bay under unbelieving stares and looks from other boats and ships in port for safety.

To be continued ..........

Quote from sdeisen

Ok youngsters I got two scares for you.
First video is Nate and I from his camera, second video is me alone
boat - YouTube
amatuer sailors - YouTube

Some of you guys might remember these, and for that I apologize

Wow - morons! When I lived in Weston I always planned my solo beach dives at sun up so I could be off the water before the moron's drinking and driving their big fancy boats started their day. Hope you got name of boats and fired off letters or something - but I doubt that anyone can fix or stop "stupid"! :crazy:

Thanks for posting - first time seeing these.

Continuation of my trip from Panama to California in 1961 - Part 3

After surviving a chaotic few days in a hurricane and subsequent rough weather we limped into Mazatlan harbor late one afternoon just as evening was falling and anchored close to where we started from nearly a month before. The "Duet" a 55 foot Cutter Rig sailboat was unfit for the sea and was pretty much a complete wreck. We spent several days cleaning her up as best as we could and continued Our attempts to contact the owner in California to no avail. We eventually closed up and secured her and "turned her over" to the local authorities (I do not know how we did this as I was just a kid and crew member). Having secured the Duet we three boarded a bus for Tijuana and walked across the border to San Diego and made it to a Marina where a friend of the Duet's Captain allowed us to stay on his boat. I never imagined I would see the Duet again but life does take funny turns when you least expect them.

The friend in San Diego was Les Taylor and his boat was a 40 foot Gaff Rigged Schooner the "Southwind" built in Oergon in the 50's and she was built without winches and used belaying pins for all halyards, lines and wooden blocks to secure the sail sheets. She was a beauty but as I would learn later - not a very seaworthy or good pointing sailboat.

Living on a sailboat in San Diego a friend of Les's had a Woodie that he drove and taught me to surf. But being a tropical boy I had trouble getting used to the cold water. It was a carefree fun few weeks and the Southwind was a magnet for girls at a local strip club and was party headquarters while poor Les was trying to work a normal day job.

I left the "Southwind" and San Diego on a road trip with one of the gals and drove up highway 1 to Bodego Bay in Northern California, with a party stop in LA, where she had a little cottage before - being recalled home by my parents via San Francisco Airport. I returned home and enrolled in Canal Zone College and resumed my routine which included a lot of spearfishing and lobstering to earn extra money. It must have been early summer of 1962 when I get a phone call at home (living with my parents) from Les Taylor saying he just arrived at the Balboa Yacht Club on his way to the Carribean and asked if I was interested in crewing with him. School was out for the summer so of course I said yes.

Les and his crew stayed in Panama several weeks and I introduced him to my friends many of whom were spearos. We relocated the Southwind to the Atlantic side with a fun trip through the Panama Canal and prepared the Southwind for a trip to the Lessor Antilles with a planned layover of a week in the San Blas Islands for diving enroute to Colombia on the Atlantic coast.

To be continued ....... Next - Sailing from Colon to the San Blas Islands for a week then on to Colombia

It has been a while but here is a continuation of my Sailboat adventures - Part 4

Part 3 was meeting up on the Southwind in Panama, Southwind was the 40 foot wooden Gaff rigged Sailboat built in Oregon in the 50's without winches or pulleys. Everything was belaying pins and bollards. Southwind was built to old sailing vessel configuration.

We moved the Southwind from the Pacific side to the Atlantic with a nice easy fun transit of the Panama Canal with friends and families on board. We spent a few days in Christobal on the Atlantic side getting the boat ready for a week spearfishing and diving in the Panama San Blas islands (photo below) with several of my diving buddies from Panama before continuing on to Colombia with ultimate destination The Dutch Netherlands Antilles.

The sail from Christobal to Porvenir in the Eastern San Blas archipelago was an easy night sail arriving early morning for the crossing of the outer barrier reef into the San Blas Islands and Porvenir the provincial capital of the quasi independent and unspoiled waters of the San Blas Islands. A week later we sailed back to Porvenir so my dive buddies could catch a flight back to Panama and we continued our trip across to Colombia. The crossing from San Blas Islands to Cartagena was one of the roughest crossing I have ever taken. We spent a few days in beautiful Cartagena then sailed on to Barranquilla where wee spent a few more day. Cartagena and Barranquilla are two beautiful coastal cities on the northern coast f Colombia and are great vacation destinations.

Our next stop was Santa Marta, last town of any size before sailing into Venezuelan waters. We only spent a few days in Santa Marta but I did get to dive a few more times for lobsters and fish to feed the crew. Between Santa Marta and the northern most tip of Colombia aptly named Cabo de Vella - there really was not much outside of a few really small fishing villages. This portion of the coast is relatively barren with no inlets or harbors just relatively shallow water along the coast and strong off shore winds.

Our last land fall before rounding the northern tip of Colombia was a small fishing village with nothing more than a small store that sold a few food items and a limited supply of warm beer. This little village was visited once a week by an ice truck and mail delivery. We ended up in front of ths little village several times after unsuccessful attempts to round Cabo de Vella (Cape Windy) in the Southwind. The head winds were very strong and the Southwind was built with wide beam and old Gaff Schooner Rigged sails that did not point or tack very well. We tried numerous times and ended up back in front of the little fishing village.

The coast here was shallow with no protection and a strong westerly off shore wind that made for very rough anchorage. We had to anchor about a hundred yards off shore in shallow (20-25 feet) of rough choppy waters.

Next: The difference between life and death as measure by chance

Help - have some San Blas photos to add but having senior moment - How can I add photos here Dan?

Muchas gracias Marco.

Thank you, yes but it will be more effective with my photos of our Thanksgiving trip to La Paz and I also have some photos to add to my post. Can you, or anyone help me with simple instructions on posting photos? I'm on the road teaching and did not bring my computer - but I don't think that is my problem (using iPad). :confused1:

Quote from Marco

This is a great thread Oscar! I really enjoy the reading.

I like your new avatar. Are you going to post something about your last trip?

Hi Marco - I'm in Mexico City on a two week teaching assignment. Been busy, La Paz
over thanksgiving (photos in link) and Holidays in Italy.

Family trip was really great - we swam with lots of Whale Sharks, made one trip to Los Islotes to swim with the Sea Lions and did some spearfishing for small snappers to bring home. Family had a great time and we plan to return this summer to give my twins (age 14) a little experience spearfishing in the shallows for small good eating fish.

Here are the photos in my fliker link: Oscar Roos' photosets on Flickr

Part 4 - Continuation Title "Life or Death a matter of a few feet"

Been busy and sitting in a hotel room in Mexico City and thought it would be a good time to continue the saga.

Recall that I was on a Gaff Rigged Sailboat, the "Southwind", sailing from Panama north by north east to the Lesser Antilles but our sailboat did not point well and we had been rebuffed several times trying to round Cabo de Vella (Cape Wind) on the far north coast of Colombia. We had returned and anchored off shore from a small fishing village not far from the cape with no bay or cove after another attempt around the Cape. Winds were strong off shore and choppy shallow water (20-25 feet) over a shallow bank that extended far off shore.

We had just returned to the boat in the late afternoon from visiting the only small store in the village in front of our anchorage and we were all sitting on the stern chatting and waiting for sunset which was less than an hour away. The dingy, a small light weight high floating fiberglass boat (approx. 8 feet in length) had been tied to the stern by its painter.

Someone noticed the painter had come loose and the dingy was being pushed away from the sailboat and shore by the strong off shore wind aided by the choppy water. I had my back to the dingy, turned around, and said I'll get it - and dove in and started my free style swim towards the dingy. With the wind and choppy seas - I was unable to reach it as quickly as I had anticipated and started swimming as hard as I could and would get close and my fingers would push it way as I reached out. Thinking this was not good I turned around and waited for a wave to push me up and realized the sailboat and shore were a long long ways from my position. Oh Shit, I've GOT TO make it to the dingy now or I'm in very deep caca.

I turned and gave it my all and was unable to reach the dingy and last thing I remember was drifting off to sleep. My mind was very calm and peaceful and I just drifted off ...................

I don't know how long I was "out" but I came to on the deck of the Southwind with all of my colleagues around me and Les Taylor, the Skipper, giving me CPR. I threw up a few times, was in a complete daze, and finally asked "what happened?"

It was a while before I was able to make sense of my surroundings and I slowly became aware of being on the sailboat with no idea of how I got there. Last I remembered was falling into a calm peaceful sleep.

I was told, after becoming more coherent, that everyone realized how fast the dingy was being blown out to sea and watched helplessly as the dingy and me trying to reach it, went further away from the sailboat. They threw several life jackets into the sea hoping one would drift close to me and at the same time were trying to break loose the anchor which was on a long long chain to prevent coming loose.

As they were in the process of hauling in by hand the long anchor chain a small wooden cayuca (wood boat carved out of a whole tree trunk), was coming toward them yelling loudly with the dingy in tow and me laying on the bottom of his cayuca unconscious.

After getting me onboard the Southwind he told the crew that he was on shore preparing to go out fishing when he saw the dingy break loose and went after it. After reaching the dingy and tying it astern, he started motoring towards our sailboat that was just a dot on the horizon, when he spotted me lying face down in the water. He was able to drag me aboard and started as fast as he could to deliver my dead body to the sailboat.

After a while, and a shot or two of rum, we discussed what happened and started to realize that had he been just a few feet left, or right, he would never have spotted me in the choppy water. That was even after realizing how fortunate we were that he was launching his boat and saw the dingy floating away from us.

I've had numerous close calls, mountain climbing, accidents, getting lost at night in the jungle, etc., etc., etc. But nothing like this which occurred when I was still in my teens. Luck? Fate? I don't know but still remember this as if it was yesterday.

Incidentally we did lose the dingy a few nights later.

Next - trying to round the cape again then finally going home and back to school the long hard way.

Oscar