Against the Sea II: Tales On and Under the Sea

by John E. Christ

  The dog of unknown ancestry slowly got forepaws back onto the surging deck. He stepped toward Josh just enough to lick his hand on the wheel. Josh returned the gesture with a vigorous rubbing caress of the scalp. Buster opened his mouth into what appeared a grin.

  “I wouldn’t want to be out here without you.” Josh laughed as the medium size bulk of Buster eased below deck.

  Alone at the wheel, Josh checked all the gauges. Both engines were running perfectly. The only problem was the expensive fuel, not that the trawler did not carry enough for every contingency, but the actual cost of diesel fuel expended cut into the final profit. The GPS indicator was reading a position that could not possibly exist. He turned the device on and off several times with the same result.

  “Damn fool devices don’t work when you need them.”

  A massive thirty foot wave appeared at the bow. Josh threw the engines into reverse. The wave crashed onto the bow temporarily burying the forward third of the trawler. The boat recovered quickly shaking off the tons of water. Josh resumed forward power before the next wave. He knew there would be more giant waves before the night was out.

  Every motion of the deck was accommodated by Josh’s years of experience. After a couple hours of continuous motion, he developed a sharp hunger pang. Within reach was a box of Ritz crackers. He gobbled a whole third of the contents before he decided he was thirsty. A half consumed can of 7-Up left by Buddy would have to do.

  The wind howled, changing direction and force occasionally. The whip antenna moaned plaintively. The air was thick with moisture. Josh licked his upper lip and it was salty.

  Toward the third hour fatigue sat in. Josh wished he had brought the captain’s stool closer to sit on. The temptation was to call Buddy for relief, but that would show weakness which he would never admit. His eyes began to droop. He fought off the thought of sleep. And then he thought he saw a light ahead in the distance. He regained his visual acuity by focusing where he saw the light. The wind, rain and waves somewhat abated but still obscured anything at a distance. The light, seen once, did not appear again; however, Josh knew it was not a hallucination. There was another ship nearby battling the same forces of nature. It was common for sailors to meet at sea under all conditions. He reached for the radio and called to the unknown ship. The radio hissed back noise. Every channel Josh tried was blanketed with the same noise. Then it occurred that he had heard on the news a few days previously that a massive solar flare was expected to disrupt communications for a short period of time. He turned the radio off in resignation that nature was battling against him both from below and above.

  Continuous watching in the direction he first saw the light yielded nothing for half an hour. Then he saw a second light farther to port. He assumed it was the same light and it blinked out as fast as it had shown itself. Josh knew he would not only have to watch the sea, he would also have to worry about a nearby vessel.

  The first watch at the wheel ended when Buddy automatically assumed his position at the helm. The weather had not changed in the hours that passed.

  Buddy scanned the sea. “Nothing’s changed; still a hairy night to be about.”

  “Yup.” There was weariness in Josh’s voice. “I am afraid we’re in for more before it’s finished. One thing, we’re not out here alone. Every once in a while, I see a light ahead. The radio is out so we have to be careful we don’t run into each other.”

  “Trawler?”

  “Hard to tell; could be.”

  “Did you try to flash the spotlight?”

  “I didn’t have a chance. Every time I spotted the light it disappeared quickly.”

  “Well, I’ll keep my eyes open. And I’ll try to signal next time. Now go get some sleep.”

  “Nothing I’d like to do better. Call me.”

  Alone at the wheel Buddy began his vigil. Each surge was met deftly with his own personal experience. This was another ordinary night in the life of a fishing seaman. Alert to the possibility of seeing the light, Buddy rehearsed in his mind what he would do when he saw it. At the moment it appeared he would turn on the searchlight and establish contact. It was almost two hours into his watch when he saw the first flicker of light up ahead. Unfortunately, he was taken initially unawares and forgot to shine the searchlight. Now at least he knew what the light looked like and in what direction. He would not miss the second time around.

  The routine functions of the engines were a comfort in all the surrounding chaos: pressure, rpms, water temperature were all normal. Buddy prided himself as a master mechanic for which this trawler had benefited. He knew nothing would go wrong as long as he was on board; or if it did, he would be able to correct it quickly without much ado. One day he thought he could retire into being a shipyard engine mechanic, but that time was far in the future.

  The light appeared again as the Jenny rode the crest of a thirty foot wave. Buddy was quick enough to turn on the searchlight, except when he turned it in the correct direction, the light had already vanished. This time, however, he did not have the sense to note how far and in what direction the light had originated. At sea all sailors are brothers. He planned to edge closer to the mysterious vessel which had only one light and no others. This meant that the vessel was either adrift which was highly unlikely or the running lights were out for some reason or other. In either case, he felt obligated to make contact and give assistance if necessary.

  The wind abated slightly after midnight and holding Jenny on course became much easier. The light appeared several times but never in the same place. Buddy assumed the mystery vessel was under power at the hands of an amateur sailor. It made no sense why anyone would zigzag so much across a roiling sea.

  “It’s my turn.”

  Buddy jumped. He had not kept track of the time. The mystery of the light had kept him occupied and alert. “You scared me.”

  “Sorry.” Josh grinned. “I think it’s your turn to get some rest. Buster needs your warm body for company.”

  “I saw the light.”

  “It’s about time.” Josh grinned.

  “Cut it out! You know what I mean!” Buddy was always kidded about being slow catching on with things. “I really saw the light out ahead of us. I think it’s another trawler with an amateur as captain. Every time I see the light, it’s in a different position. I’ve been trying to edge closer in case they need our help.”

  “I’m not sure they need our help, but I agree we should make contact. At first, I thought we should stay far apart, but I changed my mind. In a sea like this, we all need all the friends we can get. Who knows? We may need their help.”

  “So are you ready to take over?” Buddy stepped one pace from the wheel with one hand on it.

  “Move aside.” Josh laughed. “I’ll take er from here.”

  “Is there anything I can get you before I go below?”

  “Eight hours of sleep and a hot meal.”

  “When this is over I’ll make sure you get both, but what about for now?”

  “A thermos of coffee...I forgot to bring some with me.”

  Without another word Buddy disappeared below deck. Josh saw the light ahead. He thought it was suspended in the air. The light rose high into the air then fell rapidly and disappeared behind the waves.

  Two large twenty foot waves traveling at different speeds converged under the Jenny raising her forty feet into the air. The bow fell over the giant wave. Josh found himself faced with plunging the Jenny directly into the depths of the trough. Such an event would put most of the trawler underwater. Josh reacted by throwing both engines into full reverse. Although it was impossible to prevent a partial submersion, he hoped he could prevent a complete one.

  Jenny slid slowly down the face of the wave, the engines screamed. For a moment the propellers broke out of the water slashing futilely at the air. The bow sprit touched the water but proceeded no further. Another wave had miraculously swept in lifting the Jenny back upward. Josh cursed lightly to himself, happy that Mot
her Nature had intervened on his behalf.

  “Are we finished playing now?” Buddy stood beside Josh with a thermos, mug and a big grin.

  “It was nothing.” Josh took the mug and Buddy poured the coffee. “I’ve had worse.”

  “No need to explain. I understand. Rough water can be a bitch.”

  “Are you going to stand there pouring the coffee all night or are you going to get some sleep so you can relieve me later?”

  “Actually, I’m not very sleepy. Do you mind if I keep you company for a while?”

  “Only, if you don’t say anything about my seamanship.”

  “That’s easy. There’s nothing to say about it.”

  “Go to bed. That’s exactly what I’m talking about. You have no respect for your elders.”

  “I’ll behave myself. I’m just hav’n a little fun. Tis times like these you need a little laugh.”

  “There’s that light again. It seems farther away. That wave must’ve slowed us down a lot.”

  “What do you think of turning our running lights on and off as a signal?”

  Josh stared at the light in thought. “I’m not sure it would do us any good. If we can see them, they can see us for sure.”

  “Let’s do it anyway.” Buddy put his hand on the light switch. “Well?”

  “Okay, try it.”

  Buddy flipped the lights on and off several times as long as the solitary light ahead was visible. The light remained unchanged.

  “I guess that was a waste of time.”

  Josh smiled. “Not really. It just shows either they can’t see us or they don’t understand why our lights have gone on and off. I think their reaction is pretty normal, especially, if they’re Russian or Japanese.”

  “I guess you’re right as usual. The more I see that light, the more curious I get about it. I wish this storm were over so we can catch up.”

  “Buddy, me boy, we will catch up to them in good time. I think the rain has slacked off a bit as well as the wind. I’ll bet the worst of the storm is over. By the time you come back on duty you may even have smooth sailing.”

  “You may be right.” Buddy yawned. “I guess you’ve had enough of my company. I’ll go below and leave you alone.”

  The moment Buddy disappeared Josh noticed another set of lights to starboard. A red port light and mast light were clearly visible. The new vessel was heading toward the solitary light which now appeared stationary as if awaiting the approach of the new vessel.

  The converging lights were not continuously visible. Every time the Jenny dipped into the trough of a wave the lights disappeared. Josh was mesmerized by the lights. He wished he were closer to see who the vessels represented and what they would do when they met. At the point when the lights of both vessels were about to converge, they were obscured by the surrounding waves. When the Jenny rose to the crest of the next wave neither set of lights were visible anywhere. Josh rubbed his eyes, fatigue was setting in. He scanned the sea in all directions without sighting a single light. Perhaps, he thought, he was wrong about the weather letting up. In fact, the storm could get worse before it got better. Loss of the lights actually meant nothing on a night like this.

  The Jenny moved deftly at the hands of Josh at the wheel who handled wave after wave automatically. At a little after one in the morning, the storm actually showed definite signs of slacking off. There were fewer giant waves and little rain. Buddy reappeared well rested with another thermos of coffee. He poured a fresh mug for Josh before he assumed his place at the wheel. Josh backed away slowly sipping the hot coffee carefully.

  “Anything new?”

  “Nah, the weather’s gettin better tho.”

  “I can see that. We may have a good day ahead of us after all. Is that light still ahead of us?”

  “I lost track of it a while ago. One minute it was there, the next it vanished completely.”

  “Too bad, I hope we’d catch up and meet; trade stories and all that.”

  “Just before I lost sight of it I saw another set of lights moving toward it. They were almost together when I lost both of them.”

  “No big deal.” Buddy sighed. “It’s a big sea. We’ll come across someone sooner or later. One passing ship is as good as another out here.”

  “Buddy, the philosopher, the man with all the answers; I guess I’m lucky to have you on board.”

  “Hey, what’s that in the water to starboard?”

  In amongst the waves a life ring was tossed about. Black letters came into view as the ring washed closer to the Jenny. The letters spelled out the name Annie II.

  “Must’ve been lost in the storm...” Josh shrugged. “Too many things get washed overboard from carelessness.”

  “But look, there’s more!” Buddy pointed. “Maybe there was an accident.”

  The sea was littered with other objects. Buddy left Josh at the wheel and grabbed a gaff. He snared several floating items including the life ring. There was no doubt in his mind that the Annie II had met disaster. They were now bound to look for survivors. Josh turned on the searchlight in hopes of seeing farther across the water. The roiling waves made it impossible to see at any distance. Josh pushed the throttle ahead. If there was anyone alive in the water, they had to be rescued quickly otherwise they might die of cold exposure. As the sea calmed the focus of both sailors became the concern of those who might be lost and in distress.

  The debris in the water consisted mostly of small objects that might easily float free of a sinking trawler. No sign of a partially sunk ship, lifeboat or rescue beacon was anywhere around. The sea cooperated in the search effort by decreasing its waves to an average of five feet with only an occasional ten footer. The rain stopped but the air was full of moisture condensing into an ever increasing fog.

  “We’re not going to find anyone out in this mess.” Josh shook his head. “Those poor souls can only hope they died quickly.”

  “There is always hope, Josh.” Buddy was irritated by Josh’s callousness. “How would you like it if you were in the water and someone else decided it wasn’t worth continuing the search?”

  “I didn’t exactly say that.” Josh blushed. “I won’t stop until we’re sure.”

  The sea continued to flatten and the fog became denser. A few personal items belonging to the sailors on the Annie II were recovered from the water. The prospect of finding any survivors grew less by the minute. Buddy placed all the recovered articles in one spot for storage and delivery to the next of kin if it came to that.

  “What do you think happened?”

  “Collision in the storm...” Josh stared out across the bow. “Two boats can’t get too close in a storm like the one tonight without courting disaster. I am only guessing but I think that the light we’ve seen all night may have been in distress. A second nearby went to assist and the storm got the best of both of them.”

  “The only problem with that is we have only found debris from one ship. I would expect to have found something from the other vessel.” Buddy shook his head slowly.

  “Anything is possible at sea. The sea is so vast that it’s not possible for us to find everything.”

  “Maybe we’ll see more when it’s daylight. At least the sun will burn off all this fog if we’re lucky.”

  The hulk of Buster crawled from below onto deck. He yawned with paws stretched far forward. Fully awake he came to Buddy who patted him on the head.

  “Good dog.” Buddy rubbed Buster behind the ears. Buster’s hind foot started to rise as if to scratch his own fur. Buster’s body suddenly went taut and his ears perked up.

  “What’s the matter boy?” Buddy looked all around but saw nothing.

  “Buster seems to have heard something.” Josh rescanned the surrounding water. “Maybe there is someone out here we missed.”

  The big dog looked forward toward the bow, stiff-eared and barked loudly. Buddy joined Josh in resuming a careful scan of the surrounding water. Buster was seldom wrong when it came to detecting li
ving things nearby whether they were people or rats. Now it would be a matter of time before survivors would show up.

  A groundswell lifted them suddenly without warning catching them off guard. Josh regained his sea legs immediately while Buddy slipped and grabbed onto the nearest rail. Buster slid across the deck stopping with his nose pointing into a scupper.

  “There is still a residual from the storm.” Josh turned the wheel to the waves head-on. “Seems to me the debris is beginning to thin a little.”

  “I agree.” Buddy brushed himself off with his hands. “I don’t think we’ll ever know what really happened out here tonight.”

  Buster growled. Buddy stepped beside the big dog and scratched him behind the ear. Buster remained focused on a spot ahead of the bow.

  “I wish I could read your mind Buster.” The big dog growled softly and looked up into his face. “I’m sure there’s something there if you say so.”

  Another groundswell lifted the boat, but this time everyone was prepared. Josh pushed the throttle forward gaining more control. Buster moved closer to the bow sniffing the air. The view was unchanged.

  “Josh, I think Buster is onto something we can’t see in the water. I think we should be on the lookout for more flotsam, jetsam and maybe survivors.”

  “Don’t worry, my eyes and ears have been open.” Josh scanned a quick circle. “What has me puzzled are these sudden groundswells. It hasn’t been rough enough for a while for waves to converge. It’s almost, and I hate to say it, as if there is something underneath us that’s pushing upward.”

  “Like shallow water or reef...or maybe a hulk of a boat?”

  “Something like that.”

  Buster started barking wildly.

  “What’s the matter, Buster?” Josh reflexly pulled the throttle back. “What do you see?”

  “I see nothing, Josh.” Buddy moved next to Buster. “I see nothing but water and more water.”

  “I’m beginning to have a bad feeling about this.” Josh shivered. “And I can’t put my finger on it. There’s something not right about this.”

  A light flashed ahead in the distance. Buster went wild, barking furiously. Josh and Buddy stared at the light in awe.