Andrea Gail trip # 491 feb 15th to feb 23rd 1991 georges bank longline groundfish Alfred Pierre
Febuary 12th 1991
been home from sword fishing trip on the Stephanie Vaughn. around the east side of South America for about 2 week trip cut short for me,went out on the Stephanie Vaughn second trip, arrived back in San Juan Puerto Rico on The Miss Millie , go fishing on one boat and come back to port on a different boat is Rare but not uncommon. this is a long story . been home at the farm in Southern Maine around ten Days. Andrea Gail Skipper has been Calling for me to go with him on the Death trap ship Andrea Gail. being south of the Equator for over a month, then Back in Gloucester and Maine is an extreme change in Climate. Alfred has been in the City for the last Andrea Trip 3-91
His girlfriend knows she is pregnant with Alfred Pierre’s son . Alfred has to make sure his Girlfriend is OK in the Big City of New York, a lot of information to absorb here , so PAY attention , there are subliminal messages in these writings , Alfred Knew he Had a 6 week old son when he set sail on the last Andrea gail trip. still paying attention, they told us for years on the boats ,old timers are always paying, attention. on the sea going fleet in New England they define pay attention as watch your watch shift, Febuary is unforgiving on Georges and Grand Banks, home of the killer waves gone rouge. watch means look out the windows . from experience it pays to pay attention in the Gulf of Maine, those who sleep in the wheel house chair on watch when others are in their bunks. you might kill every one on the ship. our skipper on trip 4 -91 he lets us drift at night in the gulf on George’s ,no one in the wheel house. i had never been introduced to these procedures . no one on watch at night drifting blowing GALE WARNINGS,with a no big deal attitude, short laugh as the skipper tells me ,I could stay up and take watch if I like. Expressing my disbeleif ,i did not sleep much on Andrea Gail .spent the few hours of rest dragging myself out of the bunk going to the helm looking out for Danger, that we already were in danger from the moment we left Gloucester. two E P I R B S neither one in the ARMED or on Position , life raft fastened solid ,could not DEPLOY THE LIFE RAFT WITH OUT CABLE CUTTERS ,a piece of the cable wire crimped over the raft, what a @#$%*&^ nightmare. update this is why I BLOG BECAUSE IT TELLS THE TRUTH FREE TO A FEW million EDUCATED readers free , RANT FREE , im still mad about losing the Andrea Gail crew ,think about them every day , feb 12th Andrea Captains calling for me to go fishing, I say no way am I GOING today,its north east GALE FORCE, ALASKA HAD SAVAGE SUNDAY IN 1991, Captain agrees its not a fishing day KIDS in Portland Maine have a snow or no school day. stay tuned more book notes to post . other notes ,watching Deadliest Catch .thanks discovery .BEST OF SEASON 5 ,interview with survivors at Crows nest, saw my Alfred Pierre picture on the wall at the crows nest ,Alfred Pierre holding squid on hooks. we also love the new Oprah Winfrey Documentary, ocean reef commentator.
Febuary 13th 1991
Frank Maxwell called me ,he has been sleeping on the Captains couch on Munjoy hill Portland Maine, im late to pick them up to head for the Andrea Gail in Gloucester,Its still blowing a Gale force wind, My kids have been sick at home with thier Mother for a few days, we stop at Ruskis and Rosies ,two local pubs,skipper’s girlfriend works the bar at Rosies still today. Frankie the skipper and i head out by car for Gloucester from Maine.takes less than 2 hours to get to the Boat at Rocky Neck East Gloucester. wednesday middle of the week .we drive the toll highway to Georgetown exit,we like to drive the back old route,Georgetown Ipswitch .Essex ,Raleigh. comes out just before Gloucester at Rust Island. Alfred ,Richard are on the Boat in Gloucester,Half the crew there. Captain looks around he has the crew start repairing hooks and making new ones while in port. get the gear work done. we the skipper and i end up driving back to Maine, bad weather and being in love the Captain does not needf any more reason to not go fishing today.half the crew from last trip are not going for good reason . Dicky Roose does not agree with the Safety issues,Raoul does not approve of the EPIRB s not being active. Becky came to Get Dicky Roose in Gloucester from Maine. Raoul gets a ride to Portland with me and gets out to visit his girlfriend Nevada at the Port hole Restaraunt at Custom house wharf. i go home and visit my kids,take a short nap. we meet at wharf’s end later that night for a beer,the weather is getting worse by the minute ,its coming on snow and wind another North east Blizzard.
Thursday Febuary 14th 1991 Valentines day . Snow storm ends take my son to help shovel an older couples driveway in Rosemont corner .Joe Lajoy
go to the accountants at the fish pier to get Taxes filed,talked to the Greek AkA steve A .Panthers Captain he is in for the storm in Portland we are not leaving today .but we will drive to Gloucester again in the morning.The wake for Captain Ed McDuffie is in Portland tonight feb 14th , Family relative ED Sr. Amazing tanker master pilot for Portland Maine Harbor. got some extra gloves from Dedoes marine supply store on Union wharf. Black book feb 14th 1991. thanks Google for putting @andreagailhistory on page one in unrelated searches. thanks Discovery for showing my picture on the crows nest wall during the interview of survivors of bearing sea sinking, photo of Andrea Gails Alfred Pierre
day one friday february 15 th 1991 Portland Maine , weather is cold and miserable. it has been blowing GALE WARNINGS for days, portland has just got over a foot of snow , blowing northeast for two days. now the wind is out of the north west and the temperatures are below freezing. the captain of the Andrea Gail calls . he wants to go to Gloucester to work on the boat. , he says were not going to leave today ,. you know he’s full of EDIT shit. you have a sick child at home . he wants to go at 6 am when he called , you say out of the question no , and explain that the boat won’t be leaving until rosemont pharmacy fills Erin.s presccription. you pick him up at home and head to uncle Andy’s bakery in mill creek south portland for breakfast. captain is from Barnegat light N.J. he likes the Maine style coffee bakery restaurant. the Waitress a sweet heart too . on the ride from the Eastern promenade in Portland , see three young high school girls on the Portland side of the million dollar bridge with their thumbs out hitchhiking , Captain said pull over pick em up. they were on their way to school at Mahoney in mill creek . unusual way to start a trip to Gloucester.