Comments on: Under the Clouds of Katrina http://www.kayakquixotica.com/2005/08/30/under-the-clouds-of-katrina/ Tilting At Waves Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:23:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: John Browning http://www.kayakquixotica.com/2005/08/30/under-the-clouds-of-katrina/comment-page-1/#comment-112 John Browning Wed, 31 Aug 2005 13:55:00 +0000 http://cheesestate.com/quixotica/?p=99#comment-112 Back many a moon ago, I had the experience of riding out a typhoon (Joan) on a navy destroyer. Joan left us without communications (incoming or out going) and radar which we used for navigation. Rocking and rolling (upto 55 degrees!), it didn't take long for everything to find its lowest place. As Joan's eye passed over us, we all thought that perhaps we had escaped, only to soon realize that it was merely the eye of the storm. Navigation was by sonar soundings, and when all the plotting was completed and charted, we saw that we had come within a couple of miles of running aground in the South China Sea.<br/><br/>There were times that our ship was perched on the crest of a wave, both the bow and stern out of water!. Steering for awhile, no steering when the stern is sucking air, was by revs on the two engines that powered us--a mechanical sweep stroke.<br/><br/>I spent some of the time on the bridge, as one wave broke over the ship someone yelled "Look out!"--the sea had ripped one of our antennas off the gun mount in front of the bridge and it was headed our way. Luckily it flew above the bridge windows.<br/><br/>The sea was breaking above the bridge, you could look out the window and see the angry sea looking back at you.<br/><br/>In an after incident report, our skipper wrote that he actually thought we were going to capsize, but that great ship, USS Agerholm (DD-826)--named afer a Marine from Racine Wisconsin--was a fighter and she brought us through Joan's fury.<br/><br/>Weather is a mighty powerful thing, a force to be respected--whether in a sea kayak or a navy destroyer--or on land! Back many a moon ago, I had the experience of riding out a typhoon (Joan) on a navy destroyer. Joan left us without communications (incoming or out going) and radar which we used for navigation. Rocking and rolling (upto 55 degrees!), it didn’t take long for everything to find its lowest place. As Joan’s eye passed over us, we all thought that perhaps we had escaped, only to soon realize that it was merely the eye of the storm. Navigation was by sonar soundings, and when all the plotting was completed and charted, we saw that we had come within a couple of miles of running aground in the South China Sea.

There were times that our ship was perched on the crest of a wave, both the bow and stern out of water!. Steering for awhile, no steering when the stern is sucking air, was by revs on the two engines that powered us–a mechanical sweep stroke.

I spent some of the time on the bridge, as one wave broke over the ship someone yelled “Look out!”–the sea had ripped one of our antennas off the gun mount in front of the bridge and it was headed our way. Luckily it flew above the bridge windows.

The sea was breaking above the bridge, you could look out the window and see the angry sea looking back at you.

In an after incident report, our skipper wrote that he actually thought we were going to capsize, but that great ship, USS Agerholm (DD-826)–named afer a Marine from Racine Wisconsin–was a fighter and she brought us through Joan’s fury.

Weather is a mighty powerful thing, a force to be respected–whether in a sea kayak or a navy destroyer–or on land!

]]> By: bonnie http://www.kayakquixotica.com/2005/08/30/under-the-clouds-of-katrina/comment-page-1/#comment-110 bonnie Tue, 30 Aug 2005 19:25:00 +0000 http://cheesestate.com/quixotica/?p=99#comment-110 GREAT story! Windshield wipers SNAPPING OFF??? YIKES! GREAT story! Windshield wipers SNAPPING OFF??? YIKES!

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