Batten down the hatches

Ar ! foul Weather. We all have to deal with it at some point. The last couple of days have not been especially great. in the home port. At least it hasn't been near as horrible as those poor souls in tornado alley. It hasn't been great either. No fishing for ol' Shipwreck, which is my favorite pastime, when I can't go pirating. It reminds me of a story of long ago when I was a bit younger lad. The adventurous sort that I tried to be in my younger days, there was this time when on, about this time of year, My Father and I when on a trip with a friend of ours to the gulf coast for a day trip. We arrived in a little port on the coast of Florida called Keaton Beach. Our Friend had a 20 foot water vessel and was going to take us for a journey we only have ever dreamed of. Our own vessel couldn't get us past the breakwater on a calm day so we mostly fished tidal creeks and tide water, but today it was going to be different! Grouper, Snapper Amberjack, Mackerel,and any other ocean leviathan we could get in the vessel!!! Or so we thought. As we set sail south out of the channel, we stopped to catch a few pinfish for bait. once we had a dozen or so, we headed out for the big water. Now on the flats it takes a little bit of time to get in to any really deep water. So we were clipping along talking and having a jolly time going towards our destination, and once once we got close enough our friend, The Captain, started maneuvering the vessel to get a good anchorage. Anchors deployed, lines out and and the fun begins!! For 5 minutes. Just to our south was a nasty cloud that appeared on the horizon and with a burst of cold air on a hot day we decided this was not a good sign for this scurvy crew and the Captain decided to move to a different location he knew about a bit closer to shore, about a 10 minute trip. Once we were anchored at our new location and reached for the gear catch the big ones, we noticed a thin black line on the horizon, and this time we would barely escape with our lives. As we all noticed it was a massive squall gaining on on with the speed of a cheetah,It was time call this day a bust. As we hurriedly hoisted the anchors and prepared to make our way back to port, the storm as already upon us. We turned the vessel around and before we had made any headway the seas went from calm to 2 foot swells. Within a matter of minutes it went from 2 feet swells to 10 foot chops, and the Captain did all he could to keep the vessel from capsizing!! This day Our Lord would keep us safe, and we would pull through the rough part, but with choppy waves half the size of the craft we were in, it was a tough ride, hanging on for dear life hoping the Captain could get us to the other side, and we all got a bit seasick, with dentures disappearing in the ocean as we were gagging. when we finally made back to land we are all glad the The Lord had kept us all safe, and we heard the stories of other countless fishermen telling their horrid tales of near drowning. A day to remember and not soon forget. I thank The Lord often for keeping us alive this day!! This also reminds me of a song one my Favorite Pirate bands sings...... The Squall!! Pull Hard On those ropes boys, and Maybe we'll survive!!!