A Second Visit With Tim
Our son Tim had been sailing as Master on United States Navy Ships (USNS) for the Military Sealift Command (MSC) for several years, and was the Master (Captain) of the USNS Capella home ported in Jacksonville from January 2000 to April 2005. In April of that year, Tim assumed command of a new ship, home ported in Corpus Christi, Texas: the USNS Benavidez, named in honor of Master Sergeant Roy Benavidez, a Medal of Honor Recipient from the Vietnam War. In early November 2008, Tim left Corpus Christi two weeks after returning home from Kuwait, to return to the Middle East with yet another full load of military cargo for Operation Iraqi Freedom. This time he was to load in Jacksonville, so he sent me an E-Mail letting me know he would probably be coming into the port here on November 6th. We began a series of messages back and forth to try to arrange a rendezvous at the St. Johns River Buoy marking the entrance to the channel into Jacksonville and the Mayport Naval Station. We finally were able to pull it off after being blessed with the first day of decent weather in a couple weeks. We had been having miserable weather for kayaking for two weeks, but on November 6th at least the sun came out. The winds were not nearly as bad as they had been, and the seas were forecast to be three to five feet - not a day I would normally attempt a journey to the sea buoy, but Tim was coming. Here are some of the E-Mails (slightly edited) between Tim and me, and a couple between older son Bob (a U. S. Navy Captain stationed at that time in Norfolk, Virginia) and me.
From: Tim
TO: Me
Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2008 12:17:43 -0500
>>> Subject: Arrival
>>>
>>> Hey Dad,
>>>
>>> We'll be at the STJ buoy at 1200 local on Thursday. The big day is finally here. Do you still feel confident that McCain can pull it off? Hope the
weather is good Thursday and you can make it out there.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Me
> To: Tim
> Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2008 8:22 AM
> Subject: Re: Arrival
>
>> Tim, You still expect the STJ at Noon? I'm going down to check it out in a minute.
>>
From: Tim
> To: Me
Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2008 08:28:00 -0500
> Subject: Re: Arrival
>
> Hey Dad,
>
> Yes, 1200 noon for pilot. We're about 35 miles SE now.
From: Me
Date: Thu, 06 Nov 2008 08:44:47 -0500
To: Tim
Subject: Re: Arrival
Good deal, Tim. It looks pretty good out there, and the sun is out to dry me off after I get through the surf. I'll be on the south side, wearing a red hat. >>>
>>
> From: Bob
> Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2008 18:19:31 -0500
> To: Me
> Conversation: Arrival
> Subject: RE: Arrival
>
> Did you make it out there?
>
>
From: Me
Date: Thu, 06 Nov 2008 20:17:02 -0500
To: Bob
Conversation: Arrival
Subject: Re: Arrival
Yes. It was brutal. I would only do that for Mom and my three sons (and maybe the Pope). The surf took about half my energy just getting through it. Then it took me an hour and forty minutes to get to the buoy, thanks to a 10-15 mph NNE wind and three to five-foot seas in my face. Fortunately, I left plenty early. I set up with the two Coast Guard security boats that were waiting for Tim. I told them I was the Master's father, and they called Tim and told him I was there. He already knew it though, because the pilot on a tanker that passed me at the buoy called back to the tanker behind him and told him to be alert because there was a guy out here in a kayak. Tim, who was still 12 miles from the buoy, heard him and said he knew it was me. I was sitting next to one of the CG security boats when Tim passed and several of them were on the bridge waving at us. I think the CG crew got as big a thrill as I did. They were good guys, and I thanked them for serving. One was an X-Marine, and I was wearing the red U S. Marines hat that Dick Lynch gave me. (He and I talked about our days as Marines, which were only about 40 years apart.)
After Tim passed, I realized that I had drifted about a half mile east of the buoy while waiting for him, so the trip back was a little longer, but the current and five foot seas were on my side coming back and, in spite of being pretty spent, I made it back in an hour and a half. I don't know how I made it in through the surf without wiping out, but I got lucky.
Good day over all, but I won't be paddling tomorrow. My elbow feels like it was crushed by a sledgehammer - again.
I have to add that on the way out to see Tim that day, I hesitated at the shoreline as the surf was pretty rough and high, and breaking outside (far out). Then three dolphins jumped straight up out of a crashing wave, and three more followed suit. I took that as a good omen and launched my scupper pro.
As a footnote, Tim was able to come to the house for dinner the night before setting sail. Unfortunately, they headed out after dark the next day so there could be no sea buoy rendezvous on the outbound. We did, though, get to watch him transit the channel from our beach, and signal his farewell with a bright light from the bridge. Why is it that such short visits always seem so special - and memorable?
(Click to enlarge photos)
(USNS Benavidez)
M/Sgt Roy Benavidez, R.I.P.
