From Noah to the sinking of the whaleship Essex to The Perfect Storm, maritime disaster stories have kept audiences riveted in accounts recorded on the written page. But in the Youtube and reality TV era, and particularly with the immense popularity of Deadliest Catch, the written word has some stiff competition. It is against these outlets that Kalee Thompson’s new book Deadliest Sea must hold up. And it does. In a fast-paced 289 pages, Deadliest Sea delivers the goods its readers will crave.

Thompson originally wrote about the Coast Guard rescue operation launched for the crew of the fishing boat  Alaska Ranger for an article in Popular Mechanics. From there she had the foundations for this book. Thanks to Thompson’s heavy-duty reporting, Deadliest Sea offers a depth of background and information that would be impossible to reproduce in a video or television format. The book brings together the backgrounds of both the Alaska Ranger crew and their rescuers, and how they all intersect in a singular dire situation.

With all the reportorial detail, the book also has the requisite riveting moments that captivate even despite knowing the eventual outcome. A favorite passage:

Ryan’s mind was racing. He was pretty sure he’d heard the ship’s officers talking to the Warrior. The other FCA boat would be on its way, but would they have relayed the message to the Coast Guard? If they did, the Coasties would be coming all the way from Kodiak, Ryan thought. That was so far, hundreds of miles away. It was still dark. Would it be easier to spot him at night, or during the day? he wondered. Maybe at night. His strobe light was still flashing. He thought about how he’d look from the sky. Would they see the suit, the light? Jesus Christ, how long could he stay like this?

The waves were huge: twenty-footers, Ryan guessed. From the deck of the ship, seas this size wouldn’t be any sort of spectacle. It was a different story when you were submerged in the goddamn things. He couldn’t keep the freezing spray out of his nose and eyes, the only parts of his body that weren’t protected by the suit. What if no one was coming?”

It’s a scenario anyone who has taken even a day trip out of sight of land has contemplated, and all the details, and the ensuing Coast Guard rescue, come to life in this book.

Find Deadliest Sea at Amazon.com or at other locations listed on Thompson’s website.

Each has its own merits for spreading the word, and both have devotees that get a little creepy, but after exhaustive trial and error we’re going with Facebook.

Video still from the crash.

Someone captured on film an insane drag boat crash at the 2010 Augusta Southern Nationals drag boat event over the weekend.  A local news station posted the video on its website. The driver was taken to the hospital for a possible broken leg. According to this news report, he was doing about 167 mph when he lost control.

The fastest I’ve ever gone in a boat is 116 mph in a 46′ Cigarette named American Muscle a few years back, and that was a trip. Going 50 miles faster than that on a boat the size of a doormat? Insane.

The AP is reporting that workers at the World Trade Center site unearthed a 32-foot ship from the 1700s. Cool stuff.

According to this article from Vanity Fair, the two-year saga of the Barefoot Bandit, aka Colton Harris-Moore, ended after a boat chase with Bahamian authorities.

The Youtube video above tells the story, but not what kinds of boats he stole.

The BP oil spill in the Gulf hasn’t come close to being contained. The company’s getting a slight reprieve from media scrutiny while LeBron James decides where he’s going to play basketball next year, but the oil is still flowing. We’re looking at mid-August for relief, according to this CNN report.

According to this USA Today report, BP will get more local boats involved, hiring them for cleanup duty. Right now the company has enlisted 8,500 boats from affected regions, presumably people who have lost their livelihood due to the contaminated seas.

The article goes into more detail on payment:

“…For example, vessels shorter than 30 feet get $1,200 for a 24-hour period, while those longer than 65 feet get $3,000. Crewmembers get $200 per eight-hour day for responding to the spill or receiving training.”

Meanwhile, the Boating Line tweeted an article stating that vessels are banned from coming within 65 feet of an oil boom.

Beyond that, tarpon, bluefin tuna, sea turtles, and other marine wildlife are pretty much screwed.

Beyond the oil, there’s no telling the long term effects from the daily doses of dispersant.

Where did LeBron say he’s signing again?

See Kevin's book to the left.

I hit Barnes & Noble to pick up another fishing book (The Longest Silence by Tom McGuane) when I noticed a “Staycation” display featuring local books. And it was great to see friend and former colleague Kevin’s book Falvey’s Guide to Fishing Long Island on the table.

Here’s a closeup:

The book is published by fellow blogger Lenny Rudow’s Geared-Up Publications. Lenny recently did a post about it here.

I’ll echo Lenny’s sentiments, having spent time on the water with Kevin chasing sharks, stripers, and bluefish under his direction. Plus, there’s an awesome photo of a certain angler holding up a false albacore on page 98.

I saw the news in Soundings Trade Only yesterday that Bob Hewes had passed. Hewes is credited with building the first modern flats boat in the 1950s, born out of a bonefishing trip with legendary fly angler Lefty Kreh. In doing so he influenced an entire genre of angling, specifically how people approach skinny water light tackle sight fishing from a boat. In February, Hewes received an Industry award at the 2010 Miami Boat Show in recognition of all his contributions.

Maverick Boat Company owns Hewes Light Tackle Boats now, and they are still relevant.

The fly fishing website Midcurrent posted a good remembrance of Bob Hewes today, which also links to this article on Hewes from the Sun-Sentinel featuring recollections of Hewes from longtime outdoor writer Bob Stearns.

Here’s some public response from the Florida Sportsman forums as well as the Hull Truth.

Photo from NOAA

An angler fishing the 24th Annual Star Island Yacht Club Shark Tournament landed a 300-pound great white. His catch is landing him in hot water. He made the mistake of keeping the shark, which is illegal, and is now under investigation by federal authorities. (Originally reported in subscription-based Newsday.)

I have a call into a participant I know to see if I can get more of the story. Stay tuned.

Atlantic blue marlin from NOAA.

The board of directors for the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament have disqualified Citation’s 883-pound blue marlin, according to this press release.

Here’s the meat:

“After interviewing members of the crew of the fishing vessel Citation, review of the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament rules, consulting the division of Marine Fisheries as well as the North Carolina Attorney General’s office, it is apparent that there has been a substantial violation of Tournament rules. The Board of Directors has unanimously determined that they have no choice but to disqualify the 883 pound blue marlin caught on June 14, 2010.”

The reaction to their Facebook post is mixed.

Here’s more reaction on the Sportfishermen.com forums.

I’ll post more from around the web as I get the chance.