Nailin' a Net Full - U.S. Boat Collides with Mexican Tuna Pen

Original: http://www.sportfishermen.com/2008/0...ican-tuna-pen/

At 3:30am the boat Senor Hefe was heading south towards the 295 bank
which is located about 62 miles off San Diego. The ride down was nice
and calm as we headed with about 30 other sport-fishing boats for a
jump on the early bite. On the way down we were going about 12 kt/hr
and would arrive exactly on top of the 295 at 5:10 am. That was all
about to change when out of my peripheral vision I see a piece of a
metal poll lodged out of the water and I hear a sudden bang hit the
hull of the boat. First thing comes to mind that we hit some sort of
skiff or weather buoy. After the bang the starboard engine stalls.
Everyone is on their feet with in seconds to see what exactly
happened. As we turn on the floodlights we cannot believe what we are
looking at. Three hundred and sixty degrees of PVC pipe and mesh net
around the boat.

Did we just…. Yes we jumped a plastic pipe at 12 knots. After
assessing what the hell is going on we check all panel lights, one
bilge pump is on. One of the crewmembers jumped into the engine room
to check for water leaks the shafts and the through whole fittings.
Everything seemed to be all right and the boat was safe from sinking.
Next thing we know is we are in a tuna pen being towed at 3 kts. At
that time we look off the fly bridge and see approximately a 100-foot
persaner in front of us at a distance of 200 meters from the tuna pen.
Next thing we notice is the lighting on the pen. The pen seemed
improperly illuminated. The boat that was towing the pen was also
improperly illuminated according to "rules of the road". We get on the
radio and hail on channel 16. We get no response after hailing about 8
times in 5 mins. Then a crew member grabs a spot light and flashes the
saner. That's we finally got a response. We see 2-3 Avon's with a
mexican crew of 2 on each boat approaching our position. We all calm
down a little as we wait for the Avon's to approach the boat. As they
arrived the started to assessing the situation and with out contacting
us they are in the water and wit h flashlights checking for any holes
in the net. Fifteen minutes later they come up and start to speak
Spanish asking if anyone was hurt or injured. After that we ask if
they can go down and check the damage on the boat.


We find out the rope holding the tuna pen together was entangled which
caused us to be in a stable position not floundering. Then after
another dive he tells us the tip of the prop was bent. At this point
the whole crew still can't believe what happened and we all think were
in some sort of crazy dream. We got on the radio and called United
States Coast Guard San Diego and told them about our current
situation. They asked our position, how many people on board, and if
we were in immediate danger. We then told them we were trapped inside
of the tuna pen and were disabled. They didn't exactly understand our
situation as we explained it. Tuna pen? Inside? They said they would
assess the situation and five mins later they responded with telling
us to contact vessel assist. We were amazed on their answer of our
situation of being stuck in international waters with a disabled
vessel and not knowing what would happen next. And if vessel assist
was contacted what exactly would they do? Tow a tuna pen full of tuna
with us in the middle to San Diego? I don't think so… At about dawn
there were 4 per saniors around the pen.

Continued : http://www.sportfishermen.com/2008/0...ican-tuna-pen/