On January 5th, 2009 I was at the wheel when the F/V Independence ran aground in the inside passage of British Columbia. I was very lucky that morning, the vessel was only capable of around 7 knots, and that particular body of water is very deep all the way to the shore. The damage was relatively superficial, and everyone thought I was going to keep my job. They were wrong. The company cut me loose after promising to keep me employed, and the Coast Guard suspended my license for 4 months.
I am writing this in hopes that it helps me get over the event, and that it helps me move on. People keep telling me that no one got hurt, the hull did not rupture, no oil got spilled, and the only people that were scared were myself and the captain. I still feel bad about it, and I would like to be back where I was financially and professionally.
It did make me appreciate a lot of things. I have an awesome wife who stood by my side through the whole kerfluffle, and I have great friends who helped me as well. Yeah, I am not making big money, and yeah, the job I had since then was utterly terrible, but I am alive, well, and I have learned something. Any trace of hubris has vanished, and I think I am a better person.
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