QUOTE (kkw @ Feb 14 2010, 04:34 PM)

1980's and it was one of those days when the swells were huge and breaking from Jibbon bommie across to the Merries. Pt Hacking had surf waves right across, from point to point. Got a call that a yacht was disabled east of Marley and was getting blown towards the coast. It was quite common in those days, that first grader league players also followed a career in the Police force. I had a high profile Sharks player as my offsider on this particular day. This man faced rampaging forwards and tackled them head on, but on this day he was extremely reluctant to go to the rescue of the yacht. I told him that we needed to go and I would not put us in undue danger

. We battled our way out past Jibbon Point, timing it so that I wouldn't have white water to contend with, but the swells were monsterous. In the troughs, we couldn't see land at all. He started to scream and cry (yes, cry), saying he would jump over the side and risk swimming back. Just then, we got hit by a heavy downpour and couldn't see a thing. I told him we would turn around, as it was far too dangerous for the 28 footer. Had a few anxious moments getting back in through the swells and breaking waves. He never came out with me again and we never spoke of it.
With the silting up of the Port from Bundeena to Gunnamatta and around Burraneer, the waves now would be breaking and impossible to get past. Ahhh, the good ol days. I look back and think "I must have been nuts".
So what happened to the yaght was it rescued or wrecked ?
I was out off terrigal about 12 mile or so when it came over the radio a gale force 5 was approaching the mid north coast, I was in a Sea Fairy with 90hp mercury on the arse. We were doing all right with the fish and it looked OK to the south. 5 minutes later we could see the squalls building up over Sydney.
I decided to head in, another 5 minutes and it hit, sounded like we were on tracks and a freight train was going through us, couldn't see the coatline and was getting hit with rain drops that hurt as they hit.
Quickly placed a cover over the compus so it could be read and opened the big black beast up, 5 minutes later I couldn't see the wave formation in front of the boat and they were building up to the size of mountains, I was heading east,sou east and the storm was running from the south and I was hitting the swells heavily on the port side.
I turned the 2 x 800gph pumps on and they both poured out a full stream of water like 2 big rooster tails. ( had them set up this way cause use to use the water spout as a fad for the tuna. ) I was driving as fast as I dare in these conditions and was getting knowwhere, so decided to let the throttle off to see what would happen. The boat settled down and despite being very uncomfortable and getting pounded with what felt like hail, but was just big raindrops
it felt safe. The wind was knowwhere near gale 5 only about 70-80 knotts. We decided it was safer to sit it out rather then hit a swell we couldn't see and tip the boat over.
We covered ourselves up as good as we could placing life jackets on our heads ( closest I've been to putting a jacket on ).
The main body of the storm passed over us within about 15 minutes ,( seemed like hours ) and it was just steady rain the wind dropped as quickly as it
started and within about another 3/4 hour the sea had settled down to and exceptable level. We slowly made our way back to the ramp.
That night on the news it said the central coast copped 10 inches of rain in 2 hours, now that is rain.
As we drove home that afternoon we seen trees down some on top of cars heaps of roads flooded and stranded cars everywhere smashed windows in just about every house.
It's one day I will remember for a while.
All through the ordeal I never realy felt threatened but have to admit my stomoch was knotting up a bit at times.