They That Go Down To The Sea in Ships

On Friday my sister in Maine was asking for prayers for her good friend’s son. He was on a commercial fishing vessel off Cape Ann. We refer to Cape Ann as the little cape. It consists of Gloucester, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Rockport, and a couple of other insignificant towns. I knew it wasn’t going to end well. On any good day, that part of the Atlantic is a little grouchy.

One time I was invited to take a sail on a schooner. Four guys had too much time and money on their hands. They got together and built a full-size schooner. They rent it out for weddings and company parties. My wife thought it was stupid and didn’t want to go. My youngest daughter thought the same, but I overruled her. Off to Gloucester we went.

The captain knew my daughter was nervous. He said to her, “There’s no need to worry unless I look worried.” As we left the tip of Cape Ann, the wind grabbed the mast and slung-shot us towards England. We were tilting pretty heavily. My daughter had her arms wrapped around my waist tightly. She pointed to the absolutely terrified captain. We got back safely. This was a warm, calm summer day. I can’t imagine being out to sea in this weather.

Freeman Short and the other crew members of the Lilly Jean won’t be coming back to port. Being the oldest seaport in America, Gloucester celebrated its 400^th anniversary a couple of years ago. They have lost thousands of people to the sea.

Personally, I am not a fan of the ocean. Let me rephrase. I am not a fan of the surface of the ocean. As a diver I prefer being below the surface rather than on it. In the Caribbean, diving is a gentle swim amongst the sea turtles, coral, and fish. I was in a ship wreck 100’ down and there was still enough light to navigate inside the boat.

As a rescue diver back home, it isn’t pleasant at all. It’s like being blind folded, running on a treadmill while lifting 5lb dumbbells. You need to hold a rope taught from someone on the shore. You do half circles, holding the rope with one hand while feeling around for a body with the other. As soon as you touch the bottom, visibility goes down to about one foot.

I am not a superstitious person. However, when it comes to the ocean, I know enough when to listen. Many years ago, a friend of mine invited me on a fishing trip. His wife had a summer house on Long Island, Maine. They were friends with a billionaire who owned a big chunk of the Island. He had a giant yacht, and we had a great fishing weekend planned.

Well, we missed the last ferry. My friend John knew some lobstermen from the island, and where they hung out. We went to one of the waterfront dive bars in Portland and there they were. He said no problem, you just have to wait until I’m done drinking. So, while we’re hanging out, we should pound a few beers ourselves.

I knew something was a-miss when someone whispered, “The bartender is a widow to one of the guys on the Andrea Gail” (Perfect Storm). I didn’t need to know that. I didn’t want to know that. We stumbled out of the bar in the middle of the night and got on his lobster boat. The trip out was long, cold, and dark. The crew was smoking pot for the entire trip. They were all drunk and very toasted, but we made it there alive.

The next morning our host was banging on the door, way too early. I was still a little drunk, but the coffee and cool air were welcoming. He said he can’t take the boat out until the fog clears. We sat, drank coffee, and ate bacon for what seemed like hours. The old guy was very interesting. His dad built the mansion on the island. He lived there alone and drove around in an old, beat-up pickup. Most of the morning he went on and on about the cost of getting his alternator fixed. It was obvious he was just craving normal conversation. It was kind of sad in a way.

We didn’t fish that weekend. Everything that could go wrong that weekend did. I got a bad feeling about the trip when I was in the bar. A few weeks later the guys on the lobster boat were lost at sea. I knew it was because they were stoned out of their mind. Later that summer the rich guy ran his yacht aground near the vineyard and had to get rescued by the coast guard. If you know, you know.

Pray for Freeman Short, his family, and all of those lost to the sea.