Another Memory

I just had another memory appear from nowhere...as most memories do.

During one of dad's business ventures, a time came when he and his partners were making a lot of money. This was when he was doing Navy work, replacing the firebrick in the boilers of Navy transport ships. Most of this work took place in San Diego, with some work being done in San Pedro as well. Dad, being quite the fisherman, had always wanted a boat and he wanted a big boat of course. The business venture allowed the company to buy a boat for "business purposes". They bought a 40'+ cabin cruiser, an older boat but all teak construction. And it came with a Captain as well. Dad and his partners would take clients out for fishing and drinking trips. The boat had a dock space in San Diego and rarely went north to San Pedro, so the family didn't get to see it very often. I remember being on it one time...

And what happened to the boat? It seems that the Captain had gone out drinking one night, using the boat to make his way to some harborside bars...and on his way back to the dock, the boat began to sink, for some reason never clearly explained. The boat settled onto the bottom of the harbor and since it wasn't that deep, the Captain simply stayed on the flying bridge and settled himself down on some cushions and went to sleep. That's where the Coast Guard found him the next day.

With insurance delays and other bad luck, the boat stayed under water far too long and the swollen wood made it a complete wreck. A disaster.