Newport Harbor
Photo of Newport Harbor courtesy of D. Reinhart
On my “bucket list” for many years was “deep sea fishing.” It sounded romantic, and so, on a trip to the Oregon coast, in July of 2007, I scheduled the enterprise.
Departing early on the good ship “Sea Venture” from the docks by the Newport Tradewinds Charter Office, in Yaquina Bay, we headed under the bay bridge, out of the harbor, into the open sea, the briny deep.
Finally, I was living the life of a sailor.
Harbor behind us, the coast barely visible, our dinghy rose and fell with the growing swells. Shutting off the boat’s motor, Captain De Mauro, dropped anchor. And we sport fishermen dropped our bait into the frigid, heaving brine.
Within minutes my rod felt the tug of an animate object and I was soon reeling to the surface my first catch of the day: a Black Sea Bass, perhaps three pounds, in weight.
A certain peculiar nausea began in my gut. My efforts to quelch it were nil and soon I shared with the mighty Pacific and its myriad life forms the remains of my meager breakfast.
“Sea sickness,” I was told, was afflicting me.
Focusing on the horizon gave some relief but the nausea still came and went along with the remaining contents of my stomach. Even after my stomach was completely empty did I continue to wretch and vomit.
“Dry heaves,” I was told, was the name for this.
The romantic notion of “deep sea fishing” was now gone and I yearned with all my heart to return post haste to my beloved terra firma.
Having made sure we each got our limit of fish, our able Captain fired up the Sea Venture, turned it about and guided it, through the rolling, murky waves of the ocean main, back to the harbor, back to the wharf.
One high point of the trip was a whale who surfaced and blew its spout (I’m sure that’s not the official term for what whale’s do) not far off our port bow. Actually, I think it was our port stern (the terms are still a little fuzzy for me.)
My son put together a slide show of our trip which you can see by clicking this text link: deep sea fishing on the Oregon Coast.
March 30, 2009 at 1:00 pm
It sounds like it may have been a one time kind of adventure, but I’m glad you did it. Great post and pictures! It added to the bug I’ve been getting to visit the ocean. We may have to make it to the Pacific for our fall trip (wink, wink).
March 30, 2009 at 4:15 pm
I’m glad I did it too. I might even try it again.
July 18, 2009 at 3:17 am
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July 29, 2009 at 6:14 pm
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July 13, 2010 at 4:32 am
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‘Departing early on the good ship “Sea Venture” from the docks by the Newport Tradewinds Charter Office, in Yaquina Bay, we headed under the bay bridge, out of the harbor, into the open sea, the briny deep.’
Thanks
July 14, 2010 at 3:47 pm
Thank you for your gracious feedback!