'Golf on the Forecastle'

Here is some more Classical Crackerjack Sea Going shit written by a Rudy Santiago… found in the ‘Wayback Machine!’ Those were the days when Popeye, Barnacle Bill and Captain Kidd all served together under Noah on the Grand ol’ Ark!! It was a time in our Naval History that salty old adventurers yarned buffalo chips together into some good ol’ fashioned tasty tales of salt & sailoring…  I hope you  enjoy this quick one…!!!

We were in transit from Guam to the P.I. on our 1969-70 WestPac! On board we had a boatswain by the name of Bob "Gab" Gabrielson who loved to play golf!! He was a big guy and wouldn't play any other sports because he didn't want to injure his hands and not be able to golf!!!

One afternoon as the ship was bobbing up and down all over the water, I was up in my perch in the signal shack looking down as Gab was out on the ASROC deck hitting golf balls off the port side into the ocean! All was going fine until one of the first classes came up to him and they were having one of them tongue & cheek bullshit sessions!! Being up in the shack, attached to the forward stack, I couldn't hear what was being said… it could’ve been a conversation about female breast development for all I could tell!!!

Ol’ Gab just kept a shaking his head! Finally, he slowly hands the club to the first class and takes a few steps back!! The first class grabs a ball, tees up, and swing......out into the ocean goes the ball.......and the club in toe!!!

I wish that I would have taken a picture, because from my view, Gab just stood there with his jaw dropping wide open! That first class stood there with his jaw wide open as well staring out to sea, waiting for Gab to send him after the club!! That First Class should’a given ol’ Gab a fifty pound sack of bar fine tokens when we got to Olongapo!!!

By the way, did I happen to mention that they were a brand new set of Ping clubs, matching set and very expensive?!?

It's a lot like going to sea with the Princess Cruise Lines… Just another Hallmark moment in the Crackerjack Canoe Club experience!!!