Post by rsmith on Mar 4, 2011 19:53:21 GMT -5
Ok google experts, I've been trying to dig up some info on a incident I was involved with when I was 16. Time frame was either summer 1970 or 1971. I was building time for my six pack and working as a unpaid mate on a charterboat "can do too" out of wildwood nj. The Capt was Arthur W Price and the boat was a 45 Ray Davis. We were fishing at the Baltimore canyon which is about 67nm off cape may nj when we got a radio call from a 44 Pacemaker "Alamo" that had lost power. Capt Art was a boat Capt in the summer and a diesel mechanic in the winter so anyone with a problem would call Art. We pulled up along side the "Alamo" and Art jumped over. Apparently one of the guys dropped a wrench on the batt terminals and fried the batts. Anyway Art decided we were going to tow them in. the guys on the Alamo had their wives with and they decided to come over on our boat as Art had told them he was calling the Coast guard and once we met up with one of the cutters we would transfer the tow and then we could hook up and run home. We towed them about 20 nm and met up with the cutter "Alert" I was down below tending to the charter and the ladies but what ever went on with the radio calls between Art and the Alert pissed Art off to the max. We backed down and recovered our tow line and headed for home. We didn't get back to the dock till 10pm. By the time I got done cleaning the boat and putting stuff away it was after midnight and still no word from the CG . Arts wife came over and took the women back to their house to wait. The next morning I heard there was some sort of problem and the boat went down and the guys on board all died. Of course the way it goes with these type of deals the info comes out a little at a time. But by the details that were released in the investigation the Alert was towing them at 14 kts when the bow cleats pulled out. the chief told the Capt several times it was too fast and the Capt told the chief to "shut up" I'm the Capt. Not exactly those words but something to that effect. They re rigged a bridle to the stern cleats and started again. When one of the stern cleats pulled out over she went and that was that. The guys never made it out of the boat.
The Capt was put up for court marshal I got a subpoena and gave a deposition of what I knew which wasn't much. I never heard what the results were and wondered if it all got swept under the rug. I heard the wives tried to sue but it got dismissed because you cant sue the Gov.
I've tried to search for anything about the incident but have come up empty. Maybe one of you guys can find something for me.
The Capt was put up for court marshal I got a subpoena and gave a deposition of what I knew which wasn't much. I never heard what the results were and wondered if it all got swept under the rug. I heard the wives tried to sue but it got dismissed because you cant sue the Gov.
I've tried to search for anything about the incident but have come up empty. Maybe one of you guys can find something for me.
