ABW June 2017

USH!
day. It took us 8 or 9 hours, including one stop at Lubang
Island to top off our fuel. Unless the seas are bad, Jasmin
normally likes to drive the boat. She drove most of the
way. She also cleans the fish we catch, cooks all the
meals, keeps the boat shipshape, and participates in
most of the underwater adventures. Jasmin is the best
boat mate I have ever had.
Our destination was a place where several volcanic
rocks protrude out of about 180 feet of water way
out in the middle of nowhere. The water is about 50
feet deep near to the rocks, then drops off rapidly
into depths too deep for scuba diving. The location is
about 35 miles north of the Large island of Busuanga
– which you cannot even see out there unless it is a
very clear day. Hardly anyone goes out there, though it
is not uncommon to see and visit with local fishermen
from remote islands that are shorter distances away.
Our surveys around these rocks have a lot to do with the
fact that they are full of natural caves. The caves provide
hiding places for fish and interesting places to explore.
We were tired when we arrived at the rocks. Even
though the weather was mostly fine during our voyage,
we were seeing threatening storms on the horizon all
around us. So I went down on a hookah system (tether
line to supply air to me underwater) and shackled a
very strong chain around the base of a huge coral head
in about 50 feet of water. Then I connected a ¾-inch
nylon braided rope and buoy to the chain. This would
serve as our secure connection to the ocean bottom
for the week or so that we expected to be there. That
connection was so strong, there was no storm in the
weather forecasts that posed any threat to us.
Since it gets dark early and we were tired, we settled
for a snack and went to bed early. There was some mild
rain and we could hear thunder in the distance. But
since I set the anchor mooring on the down-wind side
of the rock, the sea was pretty quiet in our location.
I’m estimating that it was around 9 pm when I felt the
boat leaning strongly to the port (left) side.
Being in charge of a boat and passenger(s) out on the
open ocean is a big responsibility. Even when you do
everything right, unexpected surprises come up that
can be catastrophic.
In addition to those who depend upon me, I also have
a sacred responsibility to care for the boat – just as the
boat has an unfaltering duty to keep us safe. This is
not something easy to explain in human language. But
anyone who has ever spent a lot of time on the open
seas in a vessel will likely agree with me that every boat
has a life force, even if it is not the same as what humans
experience. I feel a mutual intimacy with all my boats.
I don’t sleep very deeply when we are out on the ocean,
even on a calm night. When I felt the boat leaning to
port, I sprang out of my bunk to see what was causing it.
This boat had floor lights which we kept on all night. So
there was plenty of light to see a very substantial wave of
water rushing in through the stern (rear) door opening.
The whole deck was awash with water and the boat was
leaning hard to the port side. Water was flowing in so fast,
my first thought was to wake Jasmin.
There was the loud sound of rushing water coming from
behind the boat and I could see that the water was
moving past the boat kind of like a river, but at a tilted
(Clockwise from
the top) Dave skin
diving; Jasmin at the
helm; the recovery
team; the whirlpool;
items salvaged from
the sunken boat
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