Posted by lobsterdon on June 16, 2005 at 09:05:50:
Last Monday night, I was anchored at landing cove on SBI. Sometime late in the night I was awakened by a loud metalic crash. I thought maybe something fell off my tuna tower to the deck and I would figure it out the next day. I rolled over and went back to sleep. A little later I was awakened again by a similar crash. It sounded like it was right over my head. My friend was sleeping on the pipe berth imediately over me so I thought maybe the berth was coming apart and he would soon land on top of me. I checked that out and it seemed OK. I then heard another big crash, but this time is was more like a loud thud, like something hitting the hull. So I got up, went outside and checked around. I checked the anchor chain to make sure nothing weird was happening there. All OK. I did notice a lot of seals swiming anound the boat, but I know they aren't stupid enough to crash into boats. I went back to bed and was awakened several more times by metalic crashs and loud thuds. What ever it was, I figured just some other weird problem After all, it is a boat.
The next morning we got up and one of my friends said there were a bunch of dead, bloodied up flying fish on the deck. After my eye opener, I put 2 and 2 together and figured out it was flying fish, being chased by seals that were crashing into the boat. The metalic clangs were when they hit the stainless rail and the thuds were when they hit the hull. When I got back to the harbor I noticed several dried blood hits on the hull. These things were hitting the boat so hard, that I believe you could be seriosly injured if hit by one in the night. I had a deck light on and another boating friend of mine said they are attracted to light. He has had them flying over his bridge at night.
I've been boating for over 25 years at the islands and this is a first for me. The moral of the story is to beware of the "Attack of the Flying Fish"
BTW. Diving was not that great, maybe 15' vis, VERY cold water at ndepth and not many fish. We did get enough Calico to eat so we survived. I still had a great time but any time I get wet, I'm happy. Like sex, even when it's bad, it's good.