It was probably 2 hours into the trip back home when the boat’s engine started to jam up. The boat came to a sudden stop and everyone stood up startled.

“what happened,” some guy passing by us asked.

“We hit an ice burg,” I told him. The man looked at me at first and then he realized I was joking and went to go see what was happening.

I went out with my dad in the back were a crowd had started to gather. We went toward the left side and one on the deck hands told us to back up.

“Look Fred,” my dad told me and he pointed into the water. I looked and there was a man with a snorkel and a goggle on feeling the engine. I heard people saying that a rope got caught in the engine. I looked around and I pointed out to dad something else in the water. It was long and sliverish. We both agreed it was a ribbon fish. It was only about 10 or 15 feet away from the deck hand. When the deck hand came back up seconds later, it swam away. The other deck hands took a gaff and hung the hook part on the rail. He climbed up that way and the other men helped to pull him up. As the crowd cleared, I could see it in the trash can. It was a plastics rope. In probably about 5 or 7 pieces. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I would have the guts to go in the water. Especially that deep out with all those biting fish people caught.

We stayed outside after that to feel the breeze. They left the front on the boat accessible this time. I saw one on the deck hands trolling with the line behind the boat. I honestly thought that the line was gonna reach the elastic limit and break, especially with the 1 or 2 pound weight on it.

We were at the front on the boat I was sitting on a metal box thing where the anchor was. As a matter of fact, it was in arms reach of me. The captain was sitting on the staircase form the front to the sundeck. He pointed out to us a feeding frenzy and some dolphins swimming. You could see Galveston from an hour or two away. We were traveling almost directly towards the sunset. There was a fine line of sunshine on the water as the sun was setting.

As we got closer to the island, the deck hands started to drag the catches out. They laid them on the ground and the biggest ones were brought to the front of the boat. Among the biggest fished were some red snapper, one of them mine, barracuda type of fish like the one that gotta way and the ling. A man tried to hang the ling on a hanging hook on the front of the boat, but he slipped as he put his foot on the inclined wall. As he did slip, another man took over the ling and made it on the middle hook. The biggest of the red snapper were hung on the right of it. Some were hung on the left with a few barracuda. Then they hung the rest of the fish on the stringers in the middle. Sharks were grouped together on the front and end part. But everything was hung on the right side of boat.

As we entered the Port of Houston, the engines slowed down. By now everyone was outside. I was at the front and my dad was at the back somewhere. As we road through the water. We could see dolphins playing around with other boats. I saw one swim right towards the boat. It swam right between the two plontunes. We could now see the dock and there were many people who had been wasting for us. After all we were at least about an hour late. The boat road right by the port and then made a u turn so that the right side of it, where the fish were, was facing inland. I had walked to the exit where a deckhand was signaling the captain to back up about 6 inches. My mom had the video camera. I wanted her to stop because she was asking dumb questions. There were these felch men getting peoples names down and giving them deals on preparing their fish for them.

I was one of the first to leave the ship. I didn't see him get off but when he did my dad handed me my stub so I could claim my fish. My mom and sisters were waiting for us. The deck hands took the fish down and called out the numbers. We a person claimed one, they asked for their ticket stub and then cut off the id tag. there were two deck hands doing this. They my called my number by I missed it and they came back to me later. My dad got his fish first. I finally got my fish of my stringer, but I was awaiting my big catch. They started to pull the ones on the front of the boat down. My dad told me that they had gypped me outta my big catch, but not long after that my fish was pulled down and handed to me. My mom took a couple of pictures of us holding them, then we went to were the flech guys were at. By then it was getting pretty dark. The man we chose charged $10 for all of my dads and my fish. His Name was Willie the Fish Cutter. My dad was looking for Mac the Knife, who had helped us all those years ago, but he wasn't here today Willie told us. My mom bought a couple of bags for 50 cents each from one of the fish cutting men who was done and leaving now. While we were waiting in line I could here some people talking nearby.

"It was the only fish I caught. That ling made my day." "Your the one that caught the ling," I asked him but he was still talking to his friends. But he still looked at me and nodded though.

My mom told me to watch Willie felch my fish so I could learn how to do it on my own. There were shark eggs in the sharks when he cut into my dad's shark. He asked if we wanted scrambled eggs then laughed at his joke. There were people behind us so we packed up our meats and moved into the car. I grabbed a couple of brochures before we left.

When we made it back to the beach house, it was kinda odd to walk around. It was almost as if we were drunk. It looked like the ground was wobbling. I guess its because we were so use to the boat shaking around all the time. My dad was experiencing it too. He said he thought that he was the only one that was like that, but then when he asked me I told him me too. It was like that for the rest of the night.

I think my mom cooked dinner that night. Too bad it wasn't fish. We both took showers and went to bed. We Finished watching Forest Gump before we feel asleep. In the end, I guess we caught less fish this time, but much bigger game than last time.

*

We woke up the next mooring and everyone knew it was time to leave. My parents had made their every morning coffee and were sitting in front of the TV set watching the morning news. Only channel 8 came up over there with the bunny rabbit antenna. Everyone had started to put everything into the van. I hated going up and down the stairs cause stickers were trailed from the lawn into the house and thats where the most of them were. We waited until about noon before we left. My mom wanted to stay, but everyone else was already ready to leave. I guess she liked the beach more than anyone else here with us.

A few miles after leaving, my mom had my dad stop and buy shrimp. I know that she never buys shrimp that often, but there much cheaper on the island or really close to it. We a little bit outta the way and stopped at Rian's Steak House. My dad paid for a buffet for everyone but my sisters didn't have much anything but nachos, which made him made. He decided to let it go sense we were on vacation. And we probably won't be back here until next vacation. Until then I shall be waiting for another time to go to the beach and beyond again. Perhaps it may be next summer somewhere in New England. In the Great Lakes or somewhere in the Atlantic. No matter where it is or how much more exiting it may be, I will never forget this great time I have these 3 days on vacation.

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