rbgarr
12-07-2002, 02:16 PM
PT 105, by Dick Keresy, naval Institute Press.
"On the way to the Galapagos, the 105 put on her own display of unsinkability. We were running through huge seas, which did not faze her as long as I was careful. Sure enough, I got careless on the down slope of a monster wave. The succeeding wave came along while her bow was still sliding down. All I had to do was "quarter" it, turn her bow so she would climb the oncoming wave at a slant, but I was gabbing with Ellis, the radioman. Too late, I watched in stunned silence as the bow disappeared in solid blue water, like a diving submarine. Water surged over the bow deck and rushed through the cockpit, yanking at my legs. Ellis saw it coming and ducked into the charthouse slamming the door behind him. The water rushed onwardto the stern and down the open engine room hatch. For a terrifying instant the 105 was entirely underwater. Then she popped out the other side of the wave. The engines, sitting in half a foot of water continued running with out a cough or sneeze. My fright was nothing compared to the kid in the engine room who sat on his perch above the three Packards and watched as seawater cascaded down in front of him. The 105 forged ahead as if going under, rather than over, the waves was all the same to her."
"On the way to the Galapagos, the 105 put on her own display of unsinkability. We were running through huge seas, which did not faze her as long as I was careful. Sure enough, I got careless on the down slope of a monster wave. The succeeding wave came along while her bow was still sliding down. All I had to do was "quarter" it, turn her bow so she would climb the oncoming wave at a slant, but I was gabbing with Ellis, the radioman. Too late, I watched in stunned silence as the bow disappeared in solid blue water, like a diving submarine. Water surged over the bow deck and rushed through the cockpit, yanking at my legs. Ellis saw it coming and ducked into the charthouse slamming the door behind him. The water rushed onwardto the stern and down the open engine room hatch. For a terrifying instant the 105 was entirely underwater. Then she popped out the other side of the wave. The engines, sitting in half a foot of water continued running with out a cough or sneeze. My fright was nothing compared to the kid in the engine room who sat on his perch above the three Packards and watched as seawater cascaded down in front of him. The 105 forged ahead as if going under, rather than over, the waves was all the same to her."