A collection of five stories told by survivors of boat wrecks at the Humboldt Bar near Cape Mendocino, California between 1933 and 1982.

Night Crossings

Gates, Jon Humboldt

Literature & Fiction

Pioneer Graphics

<p>At night, a harbor entrance becomes a dark and unpredictable corridor. One of the most dangerous harbor crossings in North America is the entrance to Humboldt Bay, on the California North Coast. For years, mariners have traded tales of shipwrecks and narrow escapes on the bar. The five stories retold here occurred between 1933 and 1982. They are based on recollections of sailors who survived the treacherous waters when a rogue wave came out of the darkness. In 1933, two teenagers pilot a small sailboat on a midnight adventure. Forty years later, Christmas Eve turns into a nightmare for the fisherman aboard the LADY FAME. Theirs are two of the voices that evoke the haunting uncertainty of a night crossing.</p>

NIGHT CROSSINGS: Maritime stories of rogue waves at night on California's notorious Humboldt Bar

Dramas & Plays

Moonstone Publishing

<p>In the early days of submarining, before the Great War, two U.S. submarine disasters riveted the nation as the stories unfolded in local and national newspapers. In Hawaii, the USS F-4 left Honolulu on a routine training run in March 1915 — and disappeared with its crew of 21 men. At Northern California’s Humboldt Bay in December 1916, the USS H-3 crashed onto the sea floor during a treacherous bar crossing attempt and was pinned under roiling surf with its crew of 27.\nBoth rescue attempts would become historic naval events, requiring tremendous courage, innovation, and stamina from all involved. Jack Agraz, a Mexican-American Navy diver, would dive to record levels in the search for F-4. As a sailor aboard H-3, he would lead rescue efforts from inside the trapped sub. Duane Stewart, an electrician’s mate, would leave behind a harrowing tale of the struggle to stay alive inside H-3. Locals in the towns affected by both wrecks would offer ingenious ideas as well as means of support to the rescuers and stranded sailors.\nThe experiences of these early pioneer submariners would become the impetus for establishing the US Navy Submarine School in 1917. In 1924, the Dolphins insignia — a submarine flanked by two dolphins — would be introduced as a symbol of achieving true submarine qualification. Crews that apprenticed aboard the F-4 and H-3 subs learned their craft through their experiences and stories, well before the Dolphins guild.</p>

Before The Dolphins Guild: A Story of Heroic Efforts to Save Two Navy Submarine Crews Trapped Under the Sea in 1915 and 1916

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Books by Gates, Jon Humboldt

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Gates, Jon Humboldt. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Night Crossings

NIGHT CROSSINGS: Maritime stories of rogue waves at night on California's notorious Humboldt Bar

Before The Dolphins Guild: A Story of Heroic Efforts to Save Two Navy Submarine Crews Trapped Under the Sea in 1915 and 1916