1 of 18

Write now Article Tools

Sometimes the sea gets very angry. En-route to Alaska, our US navy frigate found a storm in the north Pacific. We were heading into the waves giving us an up and down motion as opposed to the side to side swaying.

It was midday and I was on sound and security watch, making my rounds around the ship and ensuring everything was, well, sound and secure. I went to the anchor windless compartment which was the space immediately below the bow of the ship.

As we crashed through the waves, I saw that water was coming in from the deck above. A hatch on the main deck hadn't been properly secured and every time our ship took a nose dive, water would wash over the bow and come in through the hatch to the deck below. To make my day worse, the hatch could only be secured from the deck above. I went to the bridge to report that not everything was kosher. The officer of the deck told me to go secure the hatch.

"But sir" I replied in a trembling voice. "The hatch can only be secured topside and the waves keep washing up where I would have to be." I knew he wouldn't tell me to wait until the storm passed but had hoped he may offer to send a boatswain's mate or some other unimportant rate to risk their life.

"Get someone to tie a rope to your belt in case you need to be fished out of the ocean and we'll keep on eye on you from up here" he replied with kind of a chuckle in his voice. The bridge did look down directly onto the bow where I would be but a fat lot of good that was going to do me. How was having an audience going to help me from getting washed overboard?

I went back to the shop to get a shipmate, Trip, and some rope. Trip was a big boy and I figured he would be strong enough to pull me in should the need arise. Another thing I didn't fancy about this death defying mission was the fact to secure the hatch, twelve individual nuts had to be tightened with a wrench, three on each side of the hatch.

Trip and I headed to bow with the rope tied around my waist. I felt like some kind of dog on a leash being taken for a walk by Trip. We got to the last door leading onto the main deck. Trip was to wait at the door while I ran the 15 feet or so to get to the hatch. My heart began to race. We waited while the ship raised it's bow from the force of the wave like a horse rearing up on it's back legs. I had to get the timing right to gain the maximum time before the next wave. The ship came down with an almighty crash and as she settled her bow back into the ocean, I darted out on

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Short stories: Sailing in rough seas?
We want to hear your view. Write now!