TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. — Captain Jeff "Porkchop" Phillips joked that he has a bit of a boat problem. But his latest boat purchase gave him a first after 35 years on the water.
"Trying to describe it. Do you the like Six Flags? Have you ever had the wristband? Ridden it as many times as you can, for 13 hours straight? That's it," he explained.
Phillips bought Seminole Wind, a 1986 Kha Sheng 42 trawler, in Thunderbolt, Georgia. The Captain lives in Pensacola. On the trek back home, he experienced a first in his 35 years on the water.
"I just knew it was a bad situation. I didn't want to be it. But I felt capable of handling whatever it was," he said.
Phillips lost power about 65 miles offshore. He said the waves grew to about six feet, occasionally peaking as high as 11.
"It was a little scary because it's dark, for one, and the motion isn't regular, it hits and pitches and hits and pitches and you have to really be aware of what the next move of the boat is going to be. So you're on your toes."
In all, he spent about 13 hours stuck. His saving grace was the US Coast Guard.
"It was very ethereal, sitting there. I'm just sitting there on the back thing and they're going to do their thing. You know, the lights are shining down and it's really, really cool. But the skill of those pilots is amazing," he said.
Phillips's story is a cautionary tale that even the best boater can get caught in the elements.
His advice:
"Stay in school, watch the weather and ask for advice from people who've done it for a long time. They're going to be your best source of information on go or no-go situation," he said.
