Riptide Charters

6/18 The beat down, battered and broken!
I always say I post the good the bad and the ugly. Well today is a bit beyond that. Its the beat down, battered and broken! The trip was slated as a tuna trip out of PLymouth. Things were supposed to get started around 1000 since the bite sbeen a bit late in the day. I had Mark D, Average Joe, and Slappy the Baitshopboy on for crew. All very able bodies so if Icould get them on fish they would deliver.

I got to the ramp early and hoped to get a little rigging done before the guys showed up. This is the last time that things went my way for the rest of the day. Things began to go down hill when I bagan to get the boat ready to splash and the over ambitious harbor master nearly fell over himself running out to yell at me about why I don't have registration numbers on my boat. Last year the same guy did the same thing and just like last year, you'd have thought I was speaking a foreign language when I told him the boat was documented and it doesn't have hull numbers!

After explaining it slowly I was able to continue to launch. I must have been a bit frazzled because I splashed the boat like I always do and I began to walk out on the toungue of the trailer to hop onto the bow of the boat. Only this time my jump was a bit off and I missed my handhold on the bowrail. CRASH, SLAM, SPLASH!!!! I bounced off the bow of the boat and came slamming down into the framework of the trailer before bouncing gracefully into 3' of water. Fortunately my ribs broke my fall as I slammed into the I beam of the trailer frame. 1000mg of Advil didn't take that pain away. Landing on my ribs did keep the damage to the rest of me to a minimum and rather than a broken leg or hip I ended up with torn up shins and a huge bruise on my thigh. I am thankful howefver that it was a weekday and only a few people got to see my ballerina like moves.


Once I did a system check on myself and found I was still alive and mostly in once piece I dragged my soaking wet self back up onto the trailer and made the leap of faith a second time. This time I got purchase on the rail and we able to drag mu waterlogged butt up onto the bow and get the boat safely to the dock. I then squished my way back to the truck and parked it. A big thanks goes out to Ruge who was thoughful enough to leave some spare cloths in the boat, so I was able to strip out of most of my wet gear and put on his dry albiet fishy skanky stuff that was stowed in my fishbox. My sneakers we soaked so I got to do the cold bare foot thing for the rest of the day a-la Soundking's purple feet in April.

The rest of the day gave us great whale shows, and huge bait balls. We even saw a tuna or two. Never close enough to acctualy cast to one. I think they were staying away for fear that I might fall on them or I may ask to borrow some of their dry cloths. Suffice to say they kept their distance and I think at one point I could acctually hear them and the whales laughing at me.

I'll cut the rest of this short since every breath I take is a new experience in pain. The final tally is assorted cuts, bruises and contusions. No fish, shy of 2 doggies and 3 snagged sandeels. A TON of ground was covered and the only place we didn't go.....was the place where at least 3 tuna were landed (that I know of).

Overall I could have played in traffic and had less issues. The only tow things that made this day livable is the guys were fun to hang out with and Slappy's wife makes killer cookies. Beyond that the day was as painful as my ribs.

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Good Luck,

Capt. Terry Nugent
Riptide Charters
www.riptidecharters.com

hotreels

You must have been a hockey player.

AlloyToy

Jesus Terry!!!! You're to old to be jumping and leaping like that!!!!

Seriously, glad you're alright........been there myself. Gonna have ArcTek Jim weld me up a bow ladder that's anchored to my alum trailer.

Rest up and get ready for the next round...........they'll be waiting for you

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"First The Bite Then The Fight"

CaptKev

Glad you're ok, cap, just bruises that'll heal fast... A friend of mine just got back from the war zone in Iraq, and they had a saying that goes something like "somedays you are at the top of the wave, and somedays you are down in the trough"...

On The Edge

I know how you feel Terry (well maybe not the Busted ribs part) I recently had one of those days that lasted all weekend . Every once in a while everything lines up and nothing can go right. Some times you are the windshield and some times you are the bug.

Again we all respect the honest report. Good, Bad, Ugly, Beaten, Battered , or broken, Keep um comming

Oh ya if the tuna were laughting at you i am sure they will be regretting it soon.

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Catch um up

1999 proline 2202 wa
1999 200 merc

Mooncusser

OUCH! Been there too...It's the ribs that take the longest to heal!Fishing is a great healer!

I once came to the gas dock with bow line in hand and hopped off the boat...only to realize that the bow line was NOT attached to the bow cleat!! The boat hit the fenders and started back out into the current...so I got a running start and jumped...landing ribs first...I got the boat back...and a round of applause from the fourth of July crowd at the marina....