Good News and Bad News

Hi Ladies!

Well, "the Biff" and I had another interesting weekend. The good news is we survived. The bad news is our boat did not.
After such a hot beautiful week of flat calm water we were anxious to get out on our boat and go over to the islands now that the fuel tanks had been installed and we had more range.
We launched and left SB harbor at 8 am to cross the channel and made Santa Cruz by 9 am we fished around inside Beecher's Bay for a while as our electronics went out after we got there, no sounder, no gps - a bad omen. there was a fog bank hanging on the front side of Santa Cruz/Santa Rosa like a big curtain. So we decided to go around to the front side of Cruz and fish there for a while and we could head back home from there on a dead reckoning heading using the swell directions and probably pop out of the fog about mid channel.
We were doing some drifts in a little bay about a mile off the west end of Santa Cruz and catching some fighting white fish when we noticed our deck was wetter that usual, it usually has an inch or so sloshing around but it had several , the bilge pump had quit or become overwhelmed we don't know.
Biff started the engines and sped off but we were too heavy and couldn't plane off. Our electronics had died so our radio was out, we still don't know for sure but suspect the power problem may be related to the pump failure. We had kept an eye on other boats fishing near us, so since we could drive we drove to the dearest one and asked the to radio for assistance. This was the Calico Hunter, a private charter out of Ventura. As soon as we slowed to talk to him, we started to take on water rapidly and their Capt instructed us to get our life vests on and get to the front of our boat, but it was apparent it was going very fast, so they took us on their boat.
We spent the next 2 hours on this boat with these guys watching is horror and disbelief as our boat just bobbed in the water and then after about an hour or so it turned over. I had caught one white fish about a 3 lb-er and put it in a forward bin with ice and water it - I wander if it swam away.
At one point we were afraid it was drifting too close to the cliffs so the guys in true cowboy fashion lassoed the anchor of our boat and towed it back out away from the rocks.

Once the Park Ranger boat got there we were transferred to their care and the boat was transferred to a tow line on the Ranger boat. Then Boat Assist came to take the Boat and do the Salvage thing. Then we were delivered to the Coast Guard and given a ride to SB Harbor.
The only hitch was the keys to the truck were in the glove box on the boat and in all the excitement Biff's cell phone had died and my phone was locked in the truck. Thank heaven for Auto club and 19 year old sons who answer their phones.
We managed to save 3 poles, 1 gaff, 1 12 oz sinker and the life vests.

Well, when we go fishing ladies our goal is to have fun & meet people.

Biff & I certainly met a lot of very nice people and owe them our deepest gratitude for thier help, bravery and graciousness.