I was duty coxswain one time and had to pick up a load of mines. My eyes did not count correctly and I wanted to get back. Loaded to many mines and shipping containers. Water was lapping at the walkway alongside the storage area all the way back and because I loaded wrong the stern was almost out of the water. Props were almost out of the water. Just had to be careful when I came in to the landing on the Island.
Then there was the time we went over to pick up another boat. We were following the boat and saw smoke coming from the vents. We were to far to hear. But, saw the coxswain get a fire extinguisher, open the engine hatch, clamp the extinguisher on, drop it down the hatch, and then jump off the boat. It was serious, but it was so funny at the time.
Mike Harris
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Slides. are you familiar with the www.minemen.org the MN web site. If you have slides contact Derick Hartshorn derickh@charter.net, the webmaster and do some correspondence. I am sure you will remember some of the guys in the Yokosuka photos already posted. And as to being DUNKED, Silas Wooten and I were DUNKED when we made 1st. Water was cold. Everyone who made rate got a swimming lesson. Tell your wife I backup your remembrances. Phil Beckwith MNC Retired.
Our Mike boats suffered and were loved at the same time. Gochnauer cutting off Fox's finger off one evening at the pier main side, what a mess. Gochnauer {? I think} getting stuck in the carrier mooring lines one time. Black dog mounting the LT one AM at calisthenics:-)).
Yes, the Mike boats suffered. You could not be a coxswain if you did not learn to operate with only one engine. I was picking up something once and a rain/fog rolled in before I left Main Base. I was not sure I could find the channel without running aground so I knew there were lighted buoys around the other way. So me and the bow hook started around the outside of the Island. Ran into 4-6 foot waves and then the one engine heated up and had to shutdown that one. Then the other engine heated up. Restarted the one, shut down the hot one, and that is the way it went all the way around. The bow hook was scared and so was I.
Course, one of the things to do with them was let someone be on the stern looking at the sights and run over a Nun buoy and let it pop up at the stern. Would scare the heck out of them.