Select a passage from the book Fatal Forecast by Michael J. Togias that describes what the crew believes will happen when they leave (before the storm). What makes them feel so safe in going out? Then, compare this experience with one of your own experiences on a boat. What similarities/differences do you have with the experiences within the book?
"The crew of the Fair Wind was well aware that the late season trips to Georges Bank could be dangerous, but they also had great confidence in their boat" (16). In this quote the crew is cautious of going to Georges Bank but trusts their boat and captain. When I go out on a boat I always ask my dad what the weather will look like that day so I know what to expect. The differences between my experiences and the crews experiences is the amount of time spent on the boat. They go out for whole weeks while I would only go out for a day. And the weather is very different for me because we are much more inland than the Fair Wind was. But some similarities are that we were both fishing for lobster and we both have to be cautious of the weather.
ReplyDeleteThe Crew aboard the Fair Wind knew it was going to be dangerous trip to Georges Bank. They did have great confidence in their boat though, as said in the book: "The crew of the Fair Wind was well aware that late-season trips to Georges Bank could be dangerous, but they also had great confidence in their boat. The six-year-old, twenty-seven-ton, green and white Fair Wind had proven itself in heavy seas on numerous trips and Billy Garnos remained calm and steady at the wheel when the ocean grew angry."
ReplyDeleteThis is Jack's post. The crew expects a very smooth trip over to Georges Bank. They expect a smooth trip because the weather buoy in Georges Bank is malfunctioning and the next closest buoy to there is on the shore. They also think of having a smooth trip because NOAA never told anyone about the malfunctioning and missing weather buoys. This is like a personal experience that I have had where I am getting ready to go to haul the next day and I check the weather report on my phone. The phone says that it should be a very calm day and that there is nothing to worry about. The next morning it's blowing north/north-east at 35 knots. This is why I never trust meteorologists, they get payed to be wrong.
ReplyDeleteThe crew knows how dangerous it can be going out to Georges Bank so late in the season, but "They also had great confidence in their boat. The six-year-old, twenty-seven-ton, green and white Fair wind had proven itself in heavy seas on numerous trips and Billy Garros remained calm" (16-17). Comparisons between the book and my experiences is that i've been out on the water knowing it was rough but knew the boat could handle it.
ReplyDeleteThe crew expects to make some more money and to have a good late season trip but they expect the dangerous seas. "The crew of the Fair Wind was well aware that late-season trips to Georges Bank could be dangerous."(16)
ReplyDelete"Ernie woke from his sleep at 6 a.m. and knew immediately that something was wrong. The Fair Wind pitched violently and he could feel the boat shudder with each breaking wave. As he threw out a pair of pants and slid into his work boots, he wondered what the hell had happened to the predictive five- to ten- foot seas. In the wheelhouse he found Dave on the wheel and Billy and Rob standing besides him outside, clouds of white spray slammed the windshield as the Fair Wind lurched through heavy swells. " I used to take naps on my dads boat when I was little and he would hit ways and I would bounce and wake up.
ReplyDeleteThe crew felt confidant on this trip to Georges Bank because the forecast had give gust to 30 knots(1.2 mph) at most on Saturday night. They had grown to trust the National Weather Service with their forecast and they trusted each other and the boat. They felt confidant to know that after this trip they would be able to have a few months off before returning to the sea. As they headed out they were glad to know that was they headed out it was flat calm and easy going's they had basically nothing to worry about. Once they made it to the banks they awoken to a very different story than what the forecast said.
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