Capt Metz

Capt. Richard Metz

Capt. Metz (second from left)

Capt. Metz aboard the Dykstra

I sailed with your Father on the Dykstra as wheelsman in 1968. Capt. Gus was a real sailor and shiphandler and one heck of a nice guy and tough.

We had almost finished unloading at the Ford plant when Capt. Gus looked into the cargo hold, slipped and fell into the hold. He landed on a pile of iron ore and got back on his feet, brushed himself off and climbed up the ladder back on deck. I asked him to go to a doctor and get checked over and he said no. I went to the guard station and told the guard what happened and he sent Gus in for a check up. He was OK and we departed the plant for Duluth.

I did a lot of diving on ship wrecks during that time. Your Father was very interested in my stories. He would stand right in front of me as I was steering the ship asking me questions about certain wrecks that I had dove on. I had to stand on my tip toes to look over his head in order for me to steer the ship. At the end of my watch when I was relieved I would stay in the wheelhouse to keep up the conversation about the wrecks. I never minded that at all.

Another time as we were departing the Soo Locks storm warnings came up for Lake Superior. A few hours later as we were coming up to Whitefish Pt. I noticed quite a few ships at anchor waiting out the storm. I wondered if Capt. Gus would also go to anchor. He didn't say a word about anchoring so I said," Gee Cap, looks like a small city over there with all the lights from the ships at anchor." His answer was," Yes Richard it does, but we will not anchor, we will make Christians out of these sailors tonight! And he did!

I used to have a lot of problems with my girlfriends back in those days. One night the phone rang and when I answered it a voice said, " Is this the guy with all of the women problems? I recognized the Caps voice right away and said not any more. That's good he said, now how would you like a wheeling job for a few weeks until we lay up? I said, " When and where?" I was honored to have Capt. Gus call on me to help him out till lay-up.

That was the last year I saw Capt. Gus, when I heard his voice over the radio I would call him to say hello. I had a mates license but could not advance on the US side, so I moved to Canada and got my own ship to sail in 1980. I retired in 1999. The last time I called him he was surprised to hear I was sailing a boat for the Canadians. He asked me again if I had any more women problems, my answer was still the same NO! He laughed and wished me all the best.