AK 239

Gulf of Alaska

Jack Tanner’s Diary

^{Four days ’til Christmas}

^{Present day}

Few places in the world are darker than an overcast night on Alaskan waters, especially in late December. In the Klondike Gold Rush from 1897 to 1899 hundreds of marine accidents occurred in Southeastern Alaska and, too many mariners to count, had met their Maker in these exact conditions.

But for me, Jack Tanner, a third generation fisherman, from Ketchikan this night would give me one big frickin’ fish story.

And just in time for Christmas too!

The alcohol is really taking a toll on me, what’s left of my family and my poor partner, Mike Gardener.

Anyway right now, we’re in trouble.

Big trouble!

Our fifty-eight foot Northern Jaegar named, The Black Pearl, is stalled and sitting dead in the water.

We are in no man’s land!

We’re stuck halfway between U.S Coast Guard Air Station Sitka and Station Ketchikan.

And it’s all my fault!

I have no reason being out this far.

This is beyond stupid.

I’m going to get me and Mike killed.

And killed tonight!

Normally, a seasoned sailor like myself would never be fishing for anything this far out in December.

I’m well over forty miles from the nearest Coast Guard station.

But desperate times call for desperate…

Well, you know the word.

I owe a huge mortgage on my boat and desperately need money.

Mostly for my stupid alcohol habit!

This storm is closing in on us fast and we need to move!

I had already radioed the Coast Guard.

An MH-65 dolphin helicopter radioed back that they were at least seven minutes out bucking gale force winds at around forty knots (But gusts were over 100!).

Hurry!

I screamed into the two way!

I waited forever to make the call as we’re fishing in a no fishing zone and the Coast Guard will likely give me one big fine.

Mike was down in the engine room attempting to fix a fuel leak in my old Detroit Diesel.

Storm or no storm, I’m not about to ditch my only source of income into the black abyss!

You don’t walk away from a $650,000.00 investment, especially when you were stupid enough to let the insurance lapse.

I’d been chasing fish all day and coming up empty. I had three sonar systems on board but only one works: My old Veinland 3d sonar! I see what appears to be a large school of fish right below. disgusted, I shake my head before yelling to Mike,

“Did you stop the leak?”

I didn’t have time to hear an answer as my boat is tossed like a toothpick clean out of the water.

When my boat returns to the water it slams into the side of a pitch black wave.

There is such tremendous force that Mike is thrown into the old, oily, engine and knocked unconscious.

I’m in the fully enclosed wheelhouse or, likely, would have been tossed overboard. instead, I hit the ceiling before crashing to the icy cold floor screaming in pain.

My leg has been broken although at this time I’m not even aware of that.

As the ship bobs back and forth in the waves my creaky old crate tries to right itself. I roll across the wet floor before struggling to my feet.

I wonder why it’s so painful to walk.

Duh!

You have a broken leg.

Moron!

To my astonishment, I see what appears to be a massive black object directly next to my ship that prevents me from capsizing.

The noise of my old wooden tug against the side of this slick black ship is ear shattering.

In the confusion of the night I think it must be a container ship.

In disbelief, I check my instruments and see nothing!

I’d been drinking but not this much!

I, totally bewildered, panicked!

The pain is almost unbearable!

I don’t understand!

How is a container ship not showing up on anything?

I must be dreaming.

I’m never drinking again.

I’m able to struggle to get off the bridge to mike.

“Mike, Mike, you okay?”

No answer.

I feel like I have one of my benders on.

Zigzagging across the deck, suddenly feeling really drunk, I finally reach the engine compartment!

I stick my head inside.

I see Mike’s bleeding forehead as he says,

“What the hell was that?”

I yell,

“Get out here!”

“Now!”

I look again and this enormous black ship appears to be submerging!

I don’t know how I was able to get to my halogen work lights on that thing but I did.

To my disbelief, I see a huge, black, submarine!

Antennas all over a huge tower in the middle.

Fifty feet or more in the air!

The thing looks modern.

Slick black whale-like surface.

It slips quietly into the water and disappears into the darkness directly along side of me!

Mike, holding his bleeding head, surfaces from the engine room:

“What was it?”

I just stare at the cold, black water.

Nothing to say, I blankly look at Mike and think:

Who the hell will ever believe this?