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07/24/2008: "Just Another Boring Tuna Trip"

Around this time of year, a lot of boats are making the run fifty or more miles south of the Mexican border in search of tuna. It's a challenging trip, but one that can be made successfully - if nothing goes wrong. When it does, you quickly realize just how far you are from home.

Many years ago, HOOKER was on just such a trip when we had an engine room fire at 3AM. The boat was saved, but the engines were disabled and we were stranded - well south of the border. You're in international waters, but off the Mexican coast, and they control the seas down there. The nearest help is the Mexican Navy, but you may not want to pay the price you'll have to pay, if you know what I mean.

SENOR HEFE, a 48-ft sportfisher, was one of those boats making the run south last Friday. Heading south at 12 kts towards the 295, at 3:30AM the crew was jarred awake by the sound of a crash. Once daylight came, they could see they'd hit one of the tuna pens used to fatten bluefin tuna for the Japanese sushi markets. Turns out there's quite a few of these down there, although they say the collision rate is pretty small. Considering the cost to both sides, I'd hope the pens were well lit and the boat's operator paying attention to the radar, but apparently that wasn't the case.

It took nearly 12 hours and a standoff between the US Coast Guard and the Mexican Federal Navy, but eventually a gap was made in the PVC-and-net structure and the SENOR HEFE towed free. The lawyers and insurance companies are involved now, but it sounds like there was around $75K in damages to the boat and another $7000 to the tuna pens. All told, it could have been a lot worse.

There's a big thread about this incident over at another fishing site (you know which one); the argument is between those who think the crew were dumbasses for getting themselves into such a mess and those who want to celebrate the adventure. Personally, I think when you take your boat and crew on the high seas, no one is responsible for you but you. It doesn't really matter if the Koreans didn't have enough lights, or you left someone incompetent at the wheel in the middle of the night. If it's your boat, it's your responsibility, and there's not shirking it. That said, because everyone lived to tell the tale it'll make a great story over beers for years to come.

I'll admit that when I first heard this story, I was irritated to hear that the trapped anglers had been fishing inside the pen while they waited to be released. Turns out that the Korean owners of the pens wanted to keep the gringos occupied while things sorted out, and suggested they try the fishing. Good to know we're so damned predictable ...