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Chapter 1: What led to the Coast Guard rescue mission on Alaska's High Seas?
Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Against the Odds ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app. Chief Warrant Officer Bob Doyle trudges down a long hallway at the Coast Guard Air Station in Sitka, Alaska. He could really use a drink right now, but he needs to be sober for the meeting he's about to have.
It's June 1996, and Doyle has been summoned to the office of the base's new commanding officer, Ted Lefevre. Captain Lefevre didn't give a reason for the meeting, but he didn't really have to. Doyle knows it's because he hasn't been showing up for work. Or showing up drunk. Doyle has served in the Coast Guard for nearly 20 years, ever since he enlisted at 18. It's everything to him.
But his personal life is in shambles, and it's been affecting his work as a supply officer. He just hopes Lefevre will give him a chance to explain himself. Lefevre's door is ajar. Doyle pauses just outside and takes a moment to smooth the wrinkles on his uniform. Then, softly, he knocks. Captain Lefevre, you wanted to see me? Lefevre looks up from his desk.
He's got gray hair, bushy eyebrows, and an air of quiet authority. Stacks of paperwork cover his desk. Ah, yes, it's Doyle, right? Come in and close the door behind you. He gestures to a chair in front of his desk, and Doyle sits. There's an awkward silence as Lefevre fishes a folder out of his stacks. He opens it, scans the report inside, then looks at Doyle through wire-rimmed glasses.
So, Mr. Doyle, I understand that you've been missing a lot of work lately. I... I guess that is true, sir. Care to tell me why? Doyle takes a deep breath and launches into his story. A few months ago, he discovered that his wife was having an affair with another guy on the base, a flight mechanic. When he confronted her, she asked for a divorce and threw him out of the house.
Now his wife and the flight mechanic are living together, and he's sleeping in the barracks with the enlisted men. She won't let him see their kids, and he has to face his wife's lover on base every day. The stress and humiliation have been more than he can bear. The story pours out of him. Captain Lefevre listens patiently, then cuts him off. Look, Bob, do you mind if I call you Bob? No, sir.
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Chapter 2: How did Bob Doyle's personal struggles affect his Coast Guard career?
Doyle braces himself for a stern reprimand. He knows missing so much work could lead to a demotion or even a dishonorable discharge. But the expression on Lefevre's face softens. Bob, listen, I understand what you're going through. I honestly even sympathize. My wife, she left me too. Not that long ago.
Now it's Captain Lefevre's turn to tell his divorce story, which also involved his wife having an affair. As he talks, Doyle tries to keep a sympathetic expression on his face. But inside, he's rejoicing. What a lucky break. His commanding officer can relate to him. Maybe Lefevre won't punish him after all. When Lefevre is done, Doyle shakes his head. Sir, I'm so sorry.
That really must have been awful. It was, yeah. But here's the thing, Bob. No matter how bad things got, you know what I always did? No, sir. I came to work, Bob. And I came to work sober. I did my job. Now, there's no trace of kindness on Lefevre's face. He's all business. Do you understand what I'm saying? Doyle feels himself withering under the base captain's icy glare. Yes. Yes, sir.
Chapter 3: What challenges did the crew face while fishing on the La Conti?
I understand. Good. That's good. That'll be all, Mr. Doyle. Doyle shuffles out of Captain Lefevre's office, stunned. He was so sure the captain was on his side. Instead, he knows that if he screws up again, he won't get another warning. he'll be out.
And that means his days in the Coast Guard are numbered.
From Audible Originals, I'm Mike Corey, and this is Against the Odds. The U.S. Coast Guard calls southeastern Alaska the most demanding flight environment for Coast Guard aircraft operations. There, the men and women of Air Station Sitka are responsible for patrolling 12,000 miles of remote and rugged coastline, as well as search and rescue operations on both land and sea.
You may remember their heroics from past seasons of this podcast, including Alaska Bear Attack and Fire at Sea Cruise Ship Rescue. In 1996 and 97, Air Station Sitka was also the home base of a troubled chief warrant officer named Bob Doyle, who would go on to play a role in one of the most infamous shipwrecks and improbable rescues in Alaska's history. This is Episode 1, Black Line.
Bob Doyle stands on the sidewalk outside a two-story clapboard house that's seen better days. Actually, that's an understatement. The house is a dump. But right now, it might be the last place in Sitka that will have him. It's an overcast afternoon in November 1997, seven months since Bob was finally kicked out of the Coast Guard.
After the meeting with Captain Lefevre, Bob tried to clean up his act, but as divorce proceedings dragged on, his drinking got worse. Things came to a head about a year ago when he was arrested for drunk driving. To avoid a dishonorable discharge, Bob opted for early retirement and the meager pension that came with it. He's bounced around various places in Sitka ever since.
Motels, a rented trailer, friends' apartments. He's been kicked out of all of them. For drinking, running out of money, or for both. He's tried looking for work, but there's little to be had in Sitka at this time of year, when much of the town shuts down for winter. The best he's been able to find is a part-time gig fixing gear for a shrimp boat.
And with only that meager income and his small pension, he can't scrape together enough for rent, child support, and his bar tab. Now he's here, outside the town's grubbiest boarding house, with all his worldly possessions in two cardboard boxes. He's heard that the old lady who owns the place has a soft spot for down-on-their-luck fishermen.
Maybe she'll take kindly to a disgraced former Coast Guard officer, too. The front door appears to be nailed shut, so he walks down the narrow driveway past cast-off tools and rusty car parts until he comes to a side door. Hello? Hello? He peers through the door's grease-stained window pane and sees a kitchen cluttered with dirty dishes and empty beer cans.
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Chapter 4: What happened during the storm that threatened the La Conti?
The man with the cigarette answers before Bob can speak. Bob Doyle, ex-coast guard. Bob, this is Mike DiCapua. Bob extends a hand, and Mike shakes it warily. Ah, I hate coasties. They think they know everything. Hey Gino, pour me a shot, will ya? Want another one, Bob? Yeah, sure. Why not?
They down another round of vodka shots, then move into the living room, where Mike flops onto a battered recliner and lights a cigarette. Then Mike starts to talk. Bob realizes quickly that Mike DiCapua loves to talk, mostly about being a fisherman and how he's one of the only good ones left. You ever fish, Bob? No, but I'd like to learn.
Bob explains that he tried all summer to find work on a fishing boat, but no one was willing to take on a 39-year-old newbie. Maybe Mike could help him? But Mike just laughs and pours himself another shot. Me teaching a coastie how to fish. Now that'd be something.
Mike keeps talking, telling one yarn after another about how he first came to Alaska to skip out on parole, about women he's been with, ships he's sailed on. And Bob decides to keep listening. He hopes that if he listens long enough, Mike will change his mind and help him find some work. Mike DiCapua walks along the main pier of Old Thompson Harbor, pulling his collar tight against the wind.
Bob Doyle walks with him. It's January 1998, and by now the two men have been fishing together for a few weeks. Mike hates to admit it, but he's been impressed with how quickly Bob is learning the job. But Mike doesn't like their skipper, so they've decided to switch boats. They're looking for a ship called the La Conti, which they've heard needs two deckhands.
They'll be catching rockfish out in Sitka Sound, and the pay is 10% of the catch, which could be a lot of money. Rockfish usually fetches a good price. Then they see her, the La Conti. She's a large, narrow vessel, about 80 feet long and made of wood, which is unusual for a fishing boat. Mike likes the look of her right away. Ah, she's a schooner. Don't see many of those anymore.
On the dock, they meet the ship's captain, a burly man named Mark Morley, and the crew boss, Gigi Mork, a native Alaskan with jet black hair and boyish features. He flashes a grin at Mike. Hey, I know you. Long time no see, Mike. With Giggy vouching for Mike, it seems like the job is theirs. But Morley eyes Bob skeptically. You. What's your story? Mike sees Bob hesitate, so he jumps in.
He's green, but I'll vouch for him. He's ex-coast guard. Knows his way around a boat. I've been showing him the ropes, and he's a fast learner. With Mike's assurances, Morley agrees. He'll give Bob a shot.
Okay.
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Chapter 5: How did the crew respond to the emergency situation on the ship?
It's delicate work that has to be done quickly, often with hands that are numb from cold Alaska winds. Bob is getting better at it, but he still marvels at how fast Mike and Gigi are. Hauling the lines back in is no easy feat either. The fish have to be unhooked and sorted by species, and they have to toss back any bycatch, fish they don't have a license for.
The lines often get tangled, hooks get damaged or lost, Everything has to be repaired and coiled before it can be cast out again. When the last of the long line is retrieved, Bob makes his way carefully across the slippery deck to the bait shed, where Mike is prepping their next line. Need a hand, Mike? Mike doesn't look up, just jerks his chin at a pile of tangled line.
Good luck with that, though. It's all frayed to hell. What kind of skipper tries to fish with gear like this, anyway? Bob sits down on an overturned bucket and starts disentangling the line. Sounds like you don't like this boat so much anymore? Nah, the boat's fine.
Chapter 6: What is the significance of the EPIRB activation during the crisis?
It's the captain I'm worried about. You think he doesn't know what he's doing? Well, he doesn't know where the fish are. That's for damn sure. The bilge alarm goes off. Again. Gigi Mork appears in the bait shed doorway and tells Bob to go turn on the pump. Bob clambers below deck and finds ankle-deep water sloshing around the engine room.
He fires up a little Honda generator, and after a few minutes, most of the water has been pumped out. But he knows that in an hour or two, he'll be right back manning the pump again. Maybe sooner, if the seas get rough. He knows that Mike still has faith in the Le Conti, but Bob is starting to have his doubts.
Mark Morley sits at the wheel of the Leconte, guiding the ship out of the harbor and into Sitka Sound. For once, he's taking his vessel out for pleasure, not business. And it's a perfect day for it. Barely a cloud in the sky, and the ocean's calm surface is shining like glass.
After their unsuccessful fishing trip, Morley thought his crew could use a break, so he invited them to join him, his fiancée Tamara, and her teenage daughter Kyla, for a day of whale watching. Only Bob Doyle accepted, bringing along his nine-year-old son Brendan. Morley hears the pilot house door open and Bob appears with Brendan in tow.
The little boy stares wide-eyed at the wheel and Morley motions to the captain's chair. Hey little man, want to steer? Maybe your dad can show you how. Brendan nods and Morley gets up to let Bob take the controls. Brendan hops into his father's lap and grabs the wheel with both hands, grinning ear to ear. Bob looks up at the captain and mouths the words, thank you.
Morley steps out to give father and son a little alone time and finds Tamara and Kyla standing at the port railing, gazing out to sea. Tamara sees him approaching and points.
Mark, look!
There they are! Morley follows her finger and sees two spouts of spray in the distance. Humpback whales. He wasn't actually sure if they'd see any this time of year. Most humpbacks have migrated to Mexico by January. He takes it as a good omen that they've spotted some, and Morley could use a few good omens.
He didn't want to alarm the crew, but that last unsuccessful run put him on thin ice with Leconte's owners.
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Chapter 7: How did the crew prepare for abandoning ship?
They took a chance giving him the skipper job, and he doesn't want to let them down. Plus, he recently learned that Tamara is pregnant, and he's promised her a diamond engagement ring and a nice wedding.
Wow, look at that! Whoa!
One of the humpbacks breaches and Morley puts his arms around Tamara and Kyla. He can't believe that soon their own little baby will be in the picture too. He's so grateful for his new family and he'll do anything to make sure they're provided for. Bob Doyle shoves a few more cans of soup into an already overstuffed cupboard, then latches it shut.
He and Gigi Mork are in the Le Conti's galley, packing away all the food they'll need for their next fishing trip. It's a little before 4 a.m. on January 23, 1998. The crew has already been up for over an hour getting the ship ready. Besides the food, they need to check the engines, bilge pump, and winches, and organize all their bait and fishing gear.
Since their first trip was a bust, Captain Morley has decided to venture out into deeper waters in search of rockfish. He's set his sights on a notorious spot called Fairweather Ground.
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Chapter 8: What were the final moments of the La Conti before the rescue?
Despite its name, it's known for rough weather and high seas at this time of year. But it's also a prime fishing spot. And to maximize their time there, Morley has brought on another deckhand, an indigenous man named David Hanlon. He's quiet, so Bob hasn't gotten a read on him yet. But judging from how muscular he is, he should be a welcome addition when they're hauling in the lines.
When Bob's done helping Gigi with food, he goes to check on their safety gear. He finds everything they're required to have. Emergency beacons, waterproof survival suits, but there's one glaring exception. He climbs the steel deck stairs to the pilot house to ask Morley about it. Hey, Skipper. Do we still not have a life raft?
From his Coast Guard days, Bob knows that their first fishing trip was close enough to shore that they weren't legally required to have a life raft. But Fairweather Ground is open ocean, more than 60 miles from the nearest land. Not having a raft that far out isn't just illegal, it's downright dangerous. but Morley seems unconcerned. Nah, couldn't find one on short notice.
Bob doesn't love that answer, but he decides to drop the subject. He needs this fishing run to go well as much as anyone else. There's no sense in jumping ship over a missing life raft. Finally, the Le Conti is ready to go. Morley fires up the engine, the crew unhitches the dock ropes, and the ship chugs slowly out of the harbor. Mike DeCapua calls out to Bob. Hey.
Skipper says we can get some shut-eye. You coming? Nah, I'm going to stay up here and have a smoke. Suit yourself. Mike and the other two crew members head downstairs to their bunk rooms, leaving Bob alone on the stern. He lights a cigarette and watches the lights of Sitka as they start to recede.
When the ship passes some outcroppings called the Old Sitka Rocks, Bob looks for a series of faint yellow streetlamps. He knows that just beyond one of those lamps, there's a duplex where his ex-wife now lives with their two kids and that bastard flight mechanic. Bob tries to picture his children curled up in their beds, Brendan and his little sister, Katie. He wonders when he'll see them again.
He only gets them every other weekend. And if the Le Conti is away for too long, he'll miss his next visit. When the street lamps are barely visible on the horizon, Bob stubs out his cigarette and heads below deck. It's an 18-hour voyage to Fairweather Ground, and there's still a lot of work to be done before they get there. He needs to get some sleep.
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Bob Doyle pins a wriggling fish against the deck of the Le Conti, trying to stab it with his knife. But this one is massive, and it's refusing to go quietly. He tries to go for the fish's gills, but it twists around and bites him. Son of a bitch. The rest of the crew is watching with delight. Mike DiCapua is doubled over with laughter.
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