Lost at Sea
Lost At Sea was written by Patrick Dillon and published by Simon and Shuster in 1998. Lost at Sea is an exacting tale of two fishing boats thought unsinkable that were lost at sea without warning. The Americus and Altair two of the most modern fishing vessels in the ocean, manned by local men from the town of Anacortes disappear and comprise one of the worst disasters in fishing history. The A boats were built in Anacortes, Washington, by local shipbuilders, for Jeff Hendricks an entrepreneurial fleet-owner. The book goes on to tell the story of the travels on the workers and captains of his vessels. After the Americus and the Altair disappears the book shifts gears and follows the investigation of the accident by Captain John De Carteret of the U.S. Coast Guard. After interviewing everybody involved with the A-boats and investigating thoroughly Captain Carteret enlisted the help of Bruce Adee, who specialized in Marine Architecture and was a professor at the University of Washington in Seattle. The investigation stagnates; they simply can't find any reason for the boats to sink. Until Adee is sent a photograph showing that the boats boot stripe had been repainted higher on the boat. This shed n
The environment dictates almost every aspects of fishing, when you can physically go fishing, how long a period you can fish, as well as the methods required by fishermen. The possibility that you can make a small fortune in a couple of months is very enticing. One of the main reasons for not passing safety legislation was because of the money that is involved in the fishing industry. The author put the mysteries surrounding the disappearances to good use and made this book a page-turner. Dillon paints a vivid picture of the harsh conditions fishermen endure. After the loss of their son they discovered the lack of safety laws in the fishing industry and embarked on a crusade for safety on the high seas. Despite the known risks and fatalities every year the money that can be made is to tempting for many people. Bob and Peggy Barry lost their son Peter when he took a summer job on a boat called the Western Sea and it sank. It is hard to understand why congress failed to pass safety legislation for the fishing industry, when there are already so many laws regulating everything else. Brian Melvin, a deckhand on the Altair recalled "seeing eighteen year olds peeling of hundred-dollar bills to pay two-thousand-dollar bar tabs and leaving hundred dollar tips. The times when you can go fishing are set by the weather because many times it is just to dangerous to be out there. The book then shifts gears again and starts on the path to legislative change. Lost At Sea portrays the commercial fishing industry from three different views, the actual account, from the view of actual characters, a description of the investigation of the tragedy. The notion that these are the absolute worst conditions to work under crossed my mind many times. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and when I finished this book feel that I have walked away with a good understanding.
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