DEEP SEA FISHING NIGHTMARE......

A vacation trip to Jacksonville,Florida years ago gave me my first and last deep sea fishing trip. We had went to see my uncle J.B. and aunt Doris and their boys. My uncle was the district manager for several Red Ace Gas Stations in the local area. To show me a good time he was going to take me on my first deep sea fishing trip. Oh, yes I was thrilled with the idea but deep down I had a fear of the water. While younger I was beginning to learn to swim when a school mate held me under water and I almost drowned. Every since I have had a fear of water. By not knowing how to swim I missed a lot of fun through the years. In college I took a first year swimming class. This is the only course I ever failed!! I had to drop out because of my doctor's orders as I had tonsillitis. When I gave the teacher a written note from my doctor for me to drop out of her class she said, " young man you know you are going to get a F since you are failing my class." I got a F!!
Saturday morning bright and early we have coffee and I had some rice krispies for breakfast and it's off to the dock to board a 50 foot fishing boat with 50 people on board. The day is beautiful with not a cloud in the sky. I should have been warned as to what the day would bring as an elderly woman walking up the gang plank had already got sick.
The captain of the boat told us that we would be going about 17 miles out into a prime fishing spot. We could go ahead and fish on the way out if we wanted too. What a beautiful sight going out as dolphins surfaced in and out of the water following along besides the boat. I caught a strange looking fish on the way out. It looked like a big frying pan with a small mouth and teeth. I never did find out what kind it was as my uncle told me to throw in back. Red snappers were what we were going to fish.
Once the captain found the fish he anchored the boat and the fun was on. We were catching fish two at a time when we weren't tangled up with some one's line on the other side of the boat. After about an hour of fishing out of no where came a storm and I mean a BAD ONE. The wind got up and the waves got very high. I had on two life jackets and was scared to death. My uncle continued to fish with others during the storm since the captain said he wasn't going to pull up anchor. We had paid for an all day trip so that was what we were going to get. By now I'm so sea sick I go down below. Once in the hole I find the commode and begin to heave up rice krispies. This continued for some time. When I would heave again the commode would be opposite were I let go; with the rocking action of the boat I don't think I ever hit the target.
Yes, I said a little prayer, "Lord if you will get me off this ocean I will never get back on it again." Finally what seemed like an eternity it was time to pull up anchor and head back to the dock. Man, it will be good to touch land again. Someone tells us the engine on the boat is on fire!!! The boat is dead in the water! What a nightmare as it is now dark. A call goes out to the dock for another boat to come and tow us into the dock. We finally arrive back at the dock at about 3:00 in the morning. I'm so sea sick I have to stay another day before I feel like driving back home. My uncle always laughed at my ordeal. To him in wasn't bad at all. Well I have kept my word with the LORD, I haven't been back on the ocean.