Odd Meal
[ranking: 22]
"My friend went un-designated (no official job) for the navy and had to clean and sweep an entire deck. They didn't give him a dustpan and when he asked where the dirt should go they said to just make do.
He picked it up and ate it. Not sure if that counts as what you're asking for."
The Mighty Sea
[ranking: 7]
"For me the memory that sticks with me was when I first realised just how powerful the sea is; I was working on a boat in Japan, on my way back into port after a 4 week swing just sat in my cabin one evening watching a film on my laptop when every now and again I noticed a bright flash from behind me.
I turned around just in time to glance out of my porthole as a bolt of lightning light up the sea and capture a snapshot of an enormous wave just about to break over the side of the boat, which started getting tossed around like a toy (the boat's about 120m LOA). Certainly gave me the shivers anyway. ..."
Something Pulled The Boat Along
[ranking: 1]
"My dad and I are fishing off the Florida Keys. We have our anchor out and had been fishing for about an hour. 15 minutes later the boat gets bumped and we rock a little bit, my dad jokingly saying "Looks like jaws is after us better stay away from the edges." 10 seconds after him saying that the boat begins moving backwards: we are being towed by our anchor line that's in the water. Whatever has it is now dragging the boat backwards slowly getting faster and our boat is getting pulled under too. Next thing I hear is "No f*cking way" as my dad drops his pole runs from the front to the back grabs a knife and cuts the anchor line.
"After that we decided that fishing was not in the cards that day."
A Living Log
[ranking: 21]
"I was canoeing on the coast of Florida and my wife said 'Let's paddle up to that log.' We did. Right before we reached it the log snorted heavily and swam away. Scared the sh*t out of me.
My wife laughed because she knew it was a manatee and knew what would happen. She grew up in Florida."
Blast Off!
[ranking: 12]
"I was fishing in 17 foot Mohawk canoe off the main bridge in Titusville, FL. About 2000, my kids were small. It's teeming with fish in that area and I headed for a trough that NASA cut out to build the fuel railroad system out to the launch area. It holds black drum as well as other tasties.
"I have a trolling motor on the side of the canoe and I head for my spot down the south shore. Over to my left, just as I arrive at the south end of the trough, I see a pod of manatee in the water about 75 yards away. I have a little camera stowed away and I decide to get some up close pics for the kids.
"I turn west into the middle of the lagoon area and head over shallow water and grass beds with my trolling motor turned to 5, top speed. I notice it appears VERY shallow immediately ahead of me and I cut the motor quickly to 0.
"That's the last thing I remember before the loudest noise, that came from all around me. Water exploded. Around and under my 75lb canoe with 150lb me in the back.
"The front of my canoe went up at over a 45% angle and the rear of my canoe, with me in it, came off the surface of the water some amount such that my battery came off the floor. In the front of my canoe, all my tackle and such was launched into the air. I remember seeing a single large pinfish (not mine but one belonging in the water) arcing over the whole mess as I gripped the gunnels.
"It's not obvious what happened to me for a minute. I was so afraid and so vulnerable and unsure if it would happen again.
"I reattached things back at my trolling motor (wires had come loose, I think) and went to the shoreline (where the railroad passed) and got out and tried to piece my equipment back together and my experience.
"The pod of roughly 21 manatees (number from ranger) had come into the lagoon area recently and as it turns out, they have a similar danger signal to beavers--they slap the surface of the water. When that many do it, and it's in 2 feet of water, and they are really frightened by my entry into the area, it can almost violate the laws of bowel physics.
"Trust me I know."
Peculiar Mommy
[ranking: 4]
"I worked on a cruise ship for 7 months as a youth staff taking care of kids while the parents party it up. At certain parts of the day we close the playroom to the older kids and just let parents with their children that are under 2 come in. This woman comes to the gate with a double stroller with two of the ugliest looking babies I have ever seen in my life. She asks if she can come in with her babies. Of course, I oblige but something seems a little off. She takes the babies out of the stroller and puts them on the blanket that we have toys placed upon in the middle of the room. It is then that I realize what was so strange about these babies: They were dolls. This woman was taking pictures of them with the toys and pretending they were alive, names and all. I just looked over at my co-worker and she's giving me the same look of shock and horror that I had on my face.
We had no clue what to do or say. News spread quickly to other crew member on the ship about her. Apparently she bought gold bracelets for them at the jewelery shop on board. That woman is by far the most amazing and strangest thing I have ever witnessed at sea."
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