Single screw, reverse gear only, stranded 80 miles from shore......the fool
could not wait for a tow and decides to head home........in reverse.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://tinyurl.com/aqtfq

NEWPORT, Ore. (AP) -- Jim Peterson, a 61-year-old fisherman, was 80 miles
off the coast of Newport last week when the reverse gear seized up on him.
After some frustration, Peterson managed to get the boat to shift into
reverse. But only reverse.

Far from his home port of Coos Bay, Peterson and the deckhand, Jeremy Welsh,
considered their options - Wait hours for a Coast Guard tow, wait for help
from other fishermen or drive the boat all the way back in reverse.

Peterson wasn't waiting.

"It was odd, watching the wake roll out the front windows; like watching a
movie in reverse," Peterson told The Register-Guard of Eugene.

Stranger still was trying to steer the 38-foot Alice M., a 60-year-old
wooden troller. It was sort of like backing up a truck towing a trailer -
with some extra motion underneath.

"It can go in reverse, but the rudder isn't made for it," said Welsh, 34.
"You go in a direction for 15 minutes, then you'd have to stop, zigzag
around and correct yourself. You couldn't really steer while you're driving,
you'd have to position the boat in the direction you wanted. It was an
ordeal."

A 39-hour ordeal, to be precise. The boat goes only about seven nautical
miles an hour at full, forward speed.

"I've talked to some old-timers," Peterson said. "Nobody's ever heard of
anybody doing that before."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++

And nobody in their right mind would.

It sounds like he's experienced, and he made it. Someone without that
experience probably wouldn't have.

Just my take.

--Mike

"*JimH*" wrote in message
...
Single screw, reverse gear only, stranded 80 miles from shore......the
fool could not wait for a tow and decides to head home........in reverse.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://tinyurl.com/aqtfq

NEWPORT, Ore. (AP) -- Jim Peterson, a 61-year-old fisherman, was 80 miles
off the coast of Newport last week when the reverse gear seized up on him.
After some frustration, Peterson managed to get the boat to shift into
reverse. But only reverse.

Far from his home port of Coos Bay, Peterson and the deckhand, Jeremy
Welsh, considered their options - Wait hours for a Coast Guard tow, wait
for help from other fishermen or drive the boat all the way back in
reverse.

Peterson wasn't waiting.

"It was odd, watching the wake roll out the front windows; like watching a
movie in reverse," Peterson told The Register-Guard of Eugene.

Stranger still was trying to steer the 38-foot Alice M., a 60-year-old
wooden troller. It was sort of like backing up a truck towing a trailer -
with some extra motion underneath.

"It can go in reverse, but the rudder isn't made for it," said Welsh, 34.
"You go in a direction for 15 minutes, then you'd have to stop, zigzag
around and correct yourself. You couldn't really steer while you're
driving, you'd have to position the boat in the direction you wanted. It
was an ordeal."

A 39-hour ordeal, to be precise. The boat goes only about seven nautical
miles an hour at full, forward speed.

"I've talked to some old-timers," Peterson said. "Nobody's ever heard of
anybody doing that before."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++

And nobody in their right mind would.

mgg wrote:
It sounds like he's experienced, and he made it. Someone without that
experience probably wouldn't have.

Just my take.

--Mike

Tend to agree with Mike, fisherpersons can be resourceful & in remote
places it's just as well.

Here some fish at the outer barrier reef often more than 80 miles out,
we had one crew who lost all power so they lashed a dory either side &
drove it home on the outboards, took a while, burnt lots of petrol but
they got in OK.

K



"*JimH*" wrote in message
...

Single screw, reverse gear only, stranded 80 miles from shore......the
fool could not wait for a tow and decides to head home........in reverse.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://tinyurl.com/aqtfq

NEWPORT, Ore. (AP) -- Jim Peterson, a 61-year-old fisherman, was 80 miles
off the coast of Newport last week when the reverse gear seized up on him.
After some frustration, Peterson managed to get the boat to shift into
reverse. But only reverse.

Far from his home port of Coos Bay, Peterson and the deckhand, Jeremy
Welsh, considered their options - Wait hours for a Coast Guard tow, wait
for help from other fishermen or drive the boat all the way back in
reverse.

Peterson wasn't waiting.

"It was odd, watching the wake roll out the front windows; like watching a
movie in reverse," Peterson told The Register-Guard of Eugene.

Stranger still was trying to steer the 38-foot Alice M., a 60-year-old
wooden troller. It was sort of like backing up a truck towing a trailer -
with some extra motion underneath.

"It can go in reverse, but the rudder isn't made for it," said Welsh, 34.
"You go in a direction for 15 minutes, then you'd have to stop, zigzag
around and correct yourself. You couldn't really steer while you're
driving, you'd have to position the boat in the direction you wanted. It
was an ordeal."

A 39-hour ordeal, to be precise. The boat goes only about seven nautical
miles an hour at full, forward speed.

"I've talked to some old-timers," Peterson said. "Nobody's ever heard of
anybody doing that before."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++

And nobody in their right mind would.

"K. Smith" wrote in message
...
mgg wrote:
It sounds like he's experienced, and he made it. Someone without that
experience probably wouldn't have.

Just my take.

--Mike

Tend to agree with Mike, fisherpersons can be resourceful & in remote
places it's just as well.

Here some fish at the outer barrier reef often more than 80 miles out, we
had one crew who lost all power so they lashed a dory either side & drove
it home on the outboards, took a while, burnt lots of petrol but they got
in OK.

K




I agree. But they could have easily been towed but refused to wait. A tow
would have been the prudent option, even with an experienced skipper.

Nuttin' to argue about here. Yup, a tow probably would have been the wisest
choice. In any event, and experienced skipper got his boat and crew home
safely. That's what's most important. BTW, how much does the CG charge for a
tow? Maybe finances played into his decision? Who knows, but I think it's a
cool story.

--Mike

"*JimH*" wrote in message
...

"K. Smith" wrote in message
...
mgg wrote:
It sounds like he's experienced, and he made it. Someone without that
experience probably wouldn't have.

Just my take.

--Mike

Tend to agree with Mike, fisherpersons can be resourceful & in remote
places it's just as well.

Here some fish at the outer barrier reef often more than 80 miles out, we
had one crew who lost all power so they lashed a dory either side & drove
it home on the outboards, took a while, burnt lots of petrol but they got
in OK.

K




I agree. But they could have easily been towed but refused to wait. A
tow would have been the prudent option, even with an experienced skipper.

mgg wrote:

Nuttin' to argue about here. Yup, a tow probably would have been the wisest
choice. In any event, and experienced skipper got his boat and crew home
safely. That's what's most important. BTW, how much does the CG charge for a
tow? Maybe finances played into his decision? Who knows, but I think it's a
cool story.



I thought the CG didn't do tows anymore if the boat isn't
sinking. I understood that you have to call a commercial firm.
The CG concentrates more on preventing loss of life.

-Raf


--
Misifus-
Rafael Seibert

http://www.ralphandsue.com