Some sportfishing captains consider a fishing trip a nightmare when they spend hours on the water and get skunked. Capt. Jeremy Beller would call that a dream compared to the gun to his head, broken back, and the waterspout he encountered on his worst day on the water.
About 12 years ago, Capt. Jeremy Beller was a young sportfishing captain eager to begin his career aboard a 70-foot Hatteras. While the first few trips went well, it soon became apparent the yacht had a fuel issue, so Beller got a quote to polish the tanks. The bill was massive, mainly due to the honeycomb-like fuel tank, which left growth and particulates to run rampant if missed in the tiny compartments. Beller proceeded with the polishing with a contractor prior to a two-week fishing trip to Marsh Harbor in the Bahamas.
“The [contractor] said, ‘There’s probably still some stuff in there,’ and I was a young man, not as convincing as I am nowadays, and the owner said, ‘Let’s just go, man, we’ll be fine,’” Beller said. “Against my better judgment, we headed from Fort Lauderdale to the Abacos.”…