The southwind spent about two weeks in drydock. The shipyard was right across from the police station and abolut ten blocks away from the orange bowl but there was not much to do in that neighborhood.
I was glad when we left and then docked at the docks at the plaza hotel at the end or beginning of the miami river.
The hotel was a high class place. The southwind's checked in there and therfore they got to dock their vessel for free there. The hotel manager hated us, the crew. He referred to us as the "barbary pirates". Maybe it was because we hung out at the hotel coffee shop wearing giant knives. Or maybe it was the loud noisy parties we had every night, singing calypso music and drinking rum. Every night there after we ran out of booze and everyone was drunk I would jump into the miami river. It became a tradition. They used to pull me out of the river over the rusty ragged steel bulkhead but I would never get a scratch probably because I was so drunk.
There was a beautiful yaught named the Eroca. It was a brand new marconi rigged schooner, painted bright candy apple red. It was almost brand new. It owner was an heir to the british petrolium fortune named Dave **********. Dave was beautiful. He had long blonde curly hair, was young {22], and was single. All kinds of hot chicks were always chasing him, to no avail because dave was very very gay.
Dave was also filthy rich. He had two rolls royces, a ferrai v12, a mercedes, and more. His favorite pastime was to cruise Biscayne Blvd picking up young cuban boys.
Dave was a rep for ferrai. He was going to depart for nassau for a race there the next week. We were going to be running partners on the trip to nassau. It was a pretty big international event.
Finally we left the docks and headed for nassau. It was my first trip on a sailing vessel. Actually it was my first trip on anything bigger than a row boat. I had no fear but only happiness because it was a fullfillment of my childhood dreams. I had a natural love for the sea even though I had never been to sea. There is nothing like sailing on a sailboat. The quiet is really nice. I wasn't disappointed in the trip at all. I got to hold a few wheel watches which were awesome to me;.
When we arrived at nassau we anchored the vessel in the harbor. We used a little motor boat to travel back and forth from nassau to the vessel. I loved nassau because the drinking age was 18 and the drinks were cheap even in the famous night clubs like the junkanoo and dirty dicks. One night I got so drunk that I woke up at a funeral home that was also a brothel upstairs. The next morning the funeral director/pimp told me that I had a good time last night. I didn't know because I could not remember much about anything.
After a weeks stay there we headed back to miami. The vessel was loaded with liquor of all types because there is no tax on it there. There were ten cases of cutty shark scotch, along with scores of other booze.
Upon arrival back in miami the owners went to stay at miami beach for a few days while we stayed on the boat docked on the miami river. We were supposed to be doing maintenance on the boat while they were gone. It did not quite work out that way. While the owners were gone the crew started partying. We partied all day, all night, with short cat naps in between. Every wino in miami must have been there.
Soon all the booze was gone and all that was left was a giant hangover and a fear of what was to come when the owner returned. After all the booze was gone Willie came up to me holding a bottle of wine covered with wicker. It was the owner's pride and joy. He would brag about that bottle of wine because it was expensive and special.
Willie and I drank it and then filled it with water and he put it back in it's hiding place.
When the owner came home late at night the first thing he did was look for a drink but he could not find any. He started cussing. He said, "I know one thing they didn't drink", as he pulled his coveted wine bottle from it's hiding place. He took a good long drink of it and spit it out and started cussing again.
The next day Willie and I confessed to drinking his wine. We were fired on the spot. The owner's last words to us was, "If you hadn't filled it with water I would never have fired you"
The last I heard of the Southwind was that it had broken down in the Gulf of Mexico on it's way to New Orleans. They were towed into NO.
The crew was left to fend for themselves after that
.
Note: The engine on the southwind had broken down while they were in the middle of the gulf. The vessel almost sunk because of it. I was the chief eningeer aboard and I use to take care of the GM 671 diesel. It had a hole in it's water manifold and I kept repairing it with Celotex [a sticky gasket sealer] and tarred twine. After time this concoction made it's way into the engine and kaw blooey. I am glad I was fired.
I was glad when we left and then docked at the docks at the plaza hotel at the end or beginning of the miami river.
The hotel was a high class place. The southwind's checked in there and therfore they got to dock their vessel for free there. The hotel manager hated us, the crew. He referred to us as the "barbary pirates". Maybe it was because we hung out at the hotel coffee shop wearing giant knives. Or maybe it was the loud noisy parties we had every night, singing calypso music and drinking rum. Every night there after we ran out of booze and everyone was drunk I would jump into the miami river. It became a tradition. They used to pull me out of the river over the rusty ragged steel bulkhead but I would never get a scratch probably because I was so drunk.
There was a beautiful yaught named the Eroca. It was a brand new marconi rigged schooner, painted bright candy apple red. It was almost brand new. It owner was an heir to the british petrolium fortune named Dave **********. Dave was beautiful. He had long blonde curly hair, was young {22], and was single. All kinds of hot chicks were always chasing him, to no avail because dave was very very gay.
Dave was also filthy rich. He had two rolls royces, a ferrai v12, a mercedes, and more. His favorite pastime was to cruise Biscayne Blvd picking up young cuban boys.
Dave was a rep for ferrai. He was going to depart for nassau for a race there the next week. We were going to be running partners on the trip to nassau. It was a pretty big international event.
Finally we left the docks and headed for nassau. It was my first trip on a sailing vessel. Actually it was my first trip on anything bigger than a row boat. I had no fear but only happiness because it was a fullfillment of my childhood dreams. I had a natural love for the sea even though I had never been to sea. There is nothing like sailing on a sailboat. The quiet is really nice. I wasn't disappointed in the trip at all. I got to hold a few wheel watches which were awesome to me;.
When we arrived at nassau we anchored the vessel in the harbor. We used a little motor boat to travel back and forth from nassau to the vessel. I loved nassau because the drinking age was 18 and the drinks were cheap even in the famous night clubs like the junkanoo and dirty dicks. One night I got so drunk that I woke up at a funeral home that was also a brothel upstairs. The next morning the funeral director/pimp told me that I had a good time last night. I didn't know because I could not remember much about anything.
After a weeks stay there we headed back to miami. The vessel was loaded with liquor of all types because there is no tax on it there. There were ten cases of cutty shark scotch, along with scores of other booze.
Upon arrival back in miami the owners went to stay at miami beach for a few days while we stayed on the boat docked on the miami river. We were supposed to be doing maintenance on the boat while they were gone. It did not quite work out that way. While the owners were gone the crew started partying. We partied all day, all night, with short cat naps in between. Every wino in miami must have been there.
Soon all the booze was gone and all that was left was a giant hangover and a fear of what was to come when the owner returned. After all the booze was gone Willie came up to me holding a bottle of wine covered with wicker. It was the owner's pride and joy. He would brag about that bottle of wine because it was expensive and special.
Willie and I drank it and then filled it with water and he put it back in it's hiding place.
When the owner came home late at night the first thing he did was look for a drink but he could not find any. He started cussing. He said, "I know one thing they didn't drink", as he pulled his coveted wine bottle from it's hiding place. He took a good long drink of it and spit it out and started cussing again.
The next day Willie and I confessed to drinking his wine. We were fired on the spot. The owner's last words to us was, "If you hadn't filled it with water I would never have fired you"
The last I heard of the Southwind was that it had broken down in the Gulf of Mexico on it's way to New Orleans. They were towed into NO.
The crew was left to fend for themselves after that
.
Note: The engine on the southwind had broken down while they were in the middle of the gulf. The vessel almost sunk because of it. I was the chief eningeer aboard and I use to take care of the GM 671 diesel. It had a hole in it's water manifold and I kept repairing it with Celotex [a sticky gasket sealer] and tarred twine. After time this concoction made it's way into the engine and kaw blooey. I am glad I was fired.