I want to talk about my Daddy/Grandpa.
He raised me, along with his crazy wife but that's another story LOL.
I want to go back to being out on the Pacific ocean in the PROWLER off the WA coast after putting her in the water in either Chinook WA or Illwaco WA.
I want to be there again when the grey whale came up right next to the boat. This boat was 15 ft, or so i was just a kid and i was 7 or 8 so that was super cool. everyone else freaking out and i'm all thinking "gee i wish i could touch it", i even put my hand over the edge. i got yelled at LOL.
When the engine and bilge pump just quit for no reason. Daddy always made sure it was in perfect operating condition. He was a Navyman in WW2 so of course he was ship safe. We had to call the Coasties. By the time they got there we had maybe 3 inches before the stern went under. even then, i wasn't scared. i thought it was cool because i got to ride on the coast guard boat. here's the creepy part. we get back over the bar (Peacock Spit for those in the know) back into the mouth of the Columbia and it just started again, like nothing was ever wrong. Uncle Paul and Dad had been in the boat with a Coasty working on it to keep it from going under.
Once we lost the anchor. I noticed that we had drifted closer to the channel marker. of course dad swore, a lot. we then spent the next 2 or 3 hours not fishing but looking for the anchor. dad made this anchor trap out of like 50 hooks on the end of a line and tried to "fish" the anchor back LOL. Yeah, that didn't happen.
Once we saved 2 guys whos boat had gone under. it was a really small one and they had taken it ouit on high seas which they shouldnt have and truth be told we MTL should not have been out there but well Dad knew what he was doing. I always trused his words with boats.
We went out almost every weekend with it. sometimes i went and sometimes i didn't. there were other trips out to the channel marker but they were not as interesting.
I miss you Daddy.
You went away last year but at 95 and stroke #2 I can't blame you.
I am so sorry I couldn't be there to do what i said i would.
Love you Daddy.
