West End: Makah fisherman recounts harrowing days at sea

Published 12:01 am Sunday, March 24, 2002

NEAH BAY — After two days battling harsh seas, three Makah tribal long-line fishing boats have returned safely to the Makah Marina.

Long-line fisherman Don Davis Jr., a crewman aboard the 43-foot Last Watch, called the events that unfolded too close for comfort.

“Mother nature can be very unforgiving,” Davis said Friday. “It was the closest I have ever been to sinking.”

Davis recalled his crew’s bout with Mother Nature in raging seas and gale-force winds that caused the vessel to take on water.

Two other tribal long-liners — Maiya Ann and Pacific Stalker — also weathered the storm Wednesday and Thursday that blew their windows and flooded their holds.

—

The rest of this exclusive story appears in today’s Peninsula Daily News. Click on “Subscribe” to get the PDN delivered to your home or office.