WHEN WE GOT TO MASHES SANDS THIS MORNING AT 7 THE WIND WAS OUT OF THE EAST AT ABOUT 20-25, WE DECIDED TO GO ANYHOW. EASED OUT OF THE CANAL AT MASHES SANDS AND OVER TO THE RIVER CHANEL, THE TIDE AND OUTFLOW WAS RUSHING OUT AT ABOUT 15-20 MPH. WE WENT OUT OF THE WEST CHANNEL AND ABOUT 2 MILES WEST AT A VERY SLOW PACE. WE HAD SWELLS FROM 3-5 FT., I TOLD CARL MAYBE IF WE WENT WEST A LITTLE FARTHER WE WOOULD GET OUT OF THE FAST RUNNIN WATER. THE FURTHER WE WENT THE HIGHER THE SWELLS GOT, WE DECIDED TO HEAD BACK TO THE LANDING AND TRY SOMEWHERE ELSE. WE WERE RUNNIN ABOUT 25 MPH INTO AN OUTFLOW OF ABOUT 20, MAKING A STEADY ADVANCE BACK TO THE CANAL. WHEN WE WERE TO THE LAST MARKER BEFORE WE TURN INTO THE CANAL THE ENGINE WARNING CAME ON AND IN A MINUTE OR TWO THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN AND WOULD NOT RESTART. I TOLD CARL TO THROW THE ANCHOR OUT AND MAYBE IT WOULD HOLD US TILL THE ENGINE COOLED DOWN AND WE COULD MAKE THE RUN OVER TO THE CANAL BEFORE IT HEATED UP AGAIN. CAARL THREW THE ANCHOR OVER AND IT DID NOT HOLD, WE WERE ZIPPIN OUT TOWARD OPEN WATER AT ABOUT 20 MPH. I TOLD CARL TO PULL THE ANCHOR IN AND WE WOULD HAVE TO PADDLE ON THE QUARTER TO GET OUT OF THE OUTFLOW. HE PULLED THE ANCHOR ROPE AND HE SAID , DOESN'T FEEL LIKE THERE IS ANYTHING ON THE LINE, SURE NUFF, THE ANCHOR WAS GONE.
WE STARTED PADDLING ON THE QUARTER TOWARD THE BAR OUT FROM THE BEACH, BEFORE LONG WE WERE ABOUT 1 1/2 MILES OUT AND STILL GOING OUT FAST. WE CONTINUED TO PADDLE FOR 3 HOURS AND FINNALLY GOT TO A BAR, CARL GOT OUT AND STARTED TO PULL THE BOAT, THIS WORKED FINE TILL HE CAME TO THE END OF THE BAR AND HE WENT DOWN UP TO HIS NECK, BACK TO PADDLING AGAIN. BY THIS TIME THE TIDE CHANGED AND WE MADE A LITTLE PROGRESS TILL WE GOT TO THE BEACH. POOR OLE CARL WAS WORN OUT, I GOT OUT AND PULLED THE BOAT ALONG THE SHORE BACK AROUND TO THE CANAL AND LOADING RAMP. WE THOUGHT WE HAD IT MADE, NADA, WHEN WE GOT TO THE RAMP THE WATER WAS DOWN TO THE END OF THE RAMP AND THERE IS A DROP OFF, I BACKED THE TRAILER TO THE EDGE OF THE RAMP DROP OFF AND WE MANAGED TO GET THE WINCH
ON THE BOW HOOK OF THE BOAT AND LITTLE BY LITTLE WE WINCHED THE BOAT UP ON THE TRAILER, IT WAS A BAD SITUATION.
HERE WERE TWO NUTS, WORE DOWN TO THE BONE FINALLY GOT THE BOAT OUT OF THE WATER. CARL IS 85 AND I JUST TURNED 87 YESTERDAY, WENT OUT IN WEATHER THAT WE BOTH KNEW WE SHOULDN,T HAVE, WITHOUT A STANDBY ENGINE. WE BOTH KNEW BETTER BUT SOMETIMES YA KINDA FORGET THINGS THAT YOU SHOULDN'T, JUST TO TRY TO CATCH A FEW FISH. I GUARANTEE YA THE NEXT TIME WE GO INTO THE GULF IT WILL BE IN THE OLD STARCRAFT THAT HAS 2 ENGINES. I BELIEVE THIS WAS THE WORSE TRIP I HAVE EVER MADE, I HAVE BEEN FISHING FOR OVER 80 YEARS AND THIS WAS THE MOST STUPID THING I HAVE EVER DONE. GURRANTEE IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. I GUESS WE WERE LUCKY THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET BACK HOME BY 3 P.M. THE WATER IS VERY DARK, JUST COULD SEE THE BARS THAT WERE ONLY ABOUT 12 INCHES UNDER THE SURFACE OF THE WATER. IF THAT TIDE HAD NOT CHANGED I GUESS WE WOULD STILL BE SOMEWHERE OUT THERE IN THE GULF.
