In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.
Memories of Capt. Kirk
He Dog
Member Posts: 51,593 ✭✭✭✭
Many who post here remember Capt. Kirk, a fixture and nearly a founder of the GunBroker Forums. It was he who set the tone and guidelines for Ask the Experts. He has not posted since 2011, and I believe many realize the good Captain has health problems that will preclude his return to his beloved board.
About ten years ago there was a giveaway frenzy going on around here, and Capt. Kirk got inspired to offer a day of ocean fishing to the winner, and all the winner had to do was provide a bucket of KFC. Several posters added their names and I too posted thanking him for a very generous offer, saying it was probably a little far from New Mexico so I would not enter.
About two days later I received an E-mail from Capt. Kirk telling me I was a winner! I e-mailed back explaining I appreciated the kindness, but had not really entered, just thanked him for the chance. I got back a reply saying everyone that responded was a winner; all they had to do was get to LA. I explained the whole story to the boss and she said, "well it would be pretty much a once in a lifetime opportunity."
We arranged a date with Capt. Kirk and bought tickets, reserved a hotel room and waited impatiently for the day to come.
We met Capt. Kirk, the afternoon before we were to fish, at a caf? down on the harbor to arrange when and where to meet the next morning. Early on the day we arrived with a bucket of chicken and our own lunch ready for whatever came our way.
It turned out fog was what came our way, heavy fog. We made our way out to Angel's Gate and dropped some squid on hooks to fish for halibut and wait for the fog to clear. At times huge container ships would materialize out of the fog looming far above us and passing nearly silently though the gate and into the fog. At one point a flock of cormorants flew out of the fog bank and just kept coming in a long ragged line. In the end somewhere between 500 and 1000 cormorants went by. We had never seen more that 6 at a time before. A trio of surf scoters paddled by, beautiful little waterfowl with clown painted faces that we had never seen before. Finally Kirk and I both hooked fish and after a little time landed two halibut to small to be legal. Back into the water they went and as the fog lifted we motored beyond Angel's Gate.
We motored south and out a little toward Santa Catalina and Kirk explained the plan. It seemed that we were to find an area where the bottom was pitted with tub-like depressions where the halibut would gather. The plan was to catch halibut and then slowly bring them up as bait for sharks. It was the sharks we were fishing for. It was starting to get more exciting now. Unfortunately we had hardly got our hooks down when the swells began to rise. When we were rocking in 4 foot swells, Capt Kirk announced that was all the boat could do and we headed back to the harbor. After we entered Angel's Gate again, we began throwing the bait squid to the gulls flying behind the boat. It is the only time I have ever had the chance to watch a flying bird while I too was moving. It was in essence stationary flight. I was able to watch how the bird's wings moved, how the tail acted as a rudder, and how effortless it all seemed. It was spellbinding.
Despite the lack of trophy sharks or even legal halibut, it was one of the best and most memorable days of my life.
I was back in L.A again in 2005 to transport a couple of crocodiles back to New Mexico, and went to Kirk's place for BBQ. We had a fine visit, and a fine dinner. I never found him to be anything but generous and up-beat. I like and respect Mr. Stillwater, and miss him around here. I wish Capt. Kirk the best.
About ten years ago there was a giveaway frenzy going on around here, and Capt. Kirk got inspired to offer a day of ocean fishing to the winner, and all the winner had to do was provide a bucket of KFC. Several posters added their names and I too posted thanking him for a very generous offer, saying it was probably a little far from New Mexico so I would not enter.
About two days later I received an E-mail from Capt. Kirk telling me I was a winner! I e-mailed back explaining I appreciated the kindness, but had not really entered, just thanked him for the chance. I got back a reply saying everyone that responded was a winner; all they had to do was get to LA. I explained the whole story to the boss and she said, "well it would be pretty much a once in a lifetime opportunity."
We arranged a date with Capt. Kirk and bought tickets, reserved a hotel room and waited impatiently for the day to come.
We met Capt. Kirk, the afternoon before we were to fish, at a caf? down on the harbor to arrange when and where to meet the next morning. Early on the day we arrived with a bucket of chicken and our own lunch ready for whatever came our way.
It turned out fog was what came our way, heavy fog. We made our way out to Angel's Gate and dropped some squid on hooks to fish for halibut and wait for the fog to clear. At times huge container ships would materialize out of the fog looming far above us and passing nearly silently though the gate and into the fog. At one point a flock of cormorants flew out of the fog bank and just kept coming in a long ragged line. In the end somewhere between 500 and 1000 cormorants went by. We had never seen more that 6 at a time before. A trio of surf scoters paddled by, beautiful little waterfowl with clown painted faces that we had never seen before. Finally Kirk and I both hooked fish and after a little time landed two halibut to small to be legal. Back into the water they went and as the fog lifted we motored beyond Angel's Gate.
We motored south and out a little toward Santa Catalina and Kirk explained the plan. It seemed that we were to find an area where the bottom was pitted with tub-like depressions where the halibut would gather. The plan was to catch halibut and then slowly bring them up as bait for sharks. It was the sharks we were fishing for. It was starting to get more exciting now. Unfortunately we had hardly got our hooks down when the swells began to rise. When we were rocking in 4 foot swells, Capt Kirk announced that was all the boat could do and we headed back to the harbor. After we entered Angel's Gate again, we began throwing the bait squid to the gulls flying behind the boat. It is the only time I have ever had the chance to watch a flying bird while I too was moving. It was in essence stationary flight. I was able to watch how the bird's wings moved, how the tail acted as a rudder, and how effortless it all seemed. It was spellbinding.
Despite the lack of trophy sharks or even legal halibut, it was one of the best and most memorable days of my life.
I was back in L.A again in 2005 to transport a couple of crocodiles back to New Mexico, and went to Kirk's place for BBQ. We had a fine visit, and a fine dinner. I never found him to be anything but generous and up-beat. I like and respect Mr. Stillwater, and miss him around here. I wish Capt. Kirk the best.
Comments
I sent him an email a few months ago and got a reply from his wife. Without going into detail I'll just say that his health is keeping him from returning to the Forums. He's a great guy and I wish him only the best.
as above. I coresponded with him several times. His father was a gunsmith of some repute, Harold Mcfarland. I also wish him the best.
Yes, Harold McFarland used to be a contributing editor to The American Rifleman. He answered gun related questions that members wrote in. A very learned gunsmith and editor.
[:(]
I heard from Beverly this evening. Capt. Kirk passed away today after a long battle with Alzheimers. We wish him well on his final journey.
[:(]
My condolences also. Mom suffered with it too for a long time.
WACA Historian & Life Member
RIP Capt. & condolences to his family...
JIM....................
does not wish to be mentioned by name.
RIP my friend.
We spoke several times by phone with conversations covering a myriad of topics but I did get to meet him once briefly at SHOT Show before he had to stop traveling. We spent the better part of a day walking (rolling in his case in a wheel chair) and yammering like a couple of old ladies at bridge club.
It turns out he and his father knew many of the same older gunsmiths I trained and apprenticed with early in my career. We swapped all sorts of stories about their clients and the projects they got involved with. Funny, wonderful stuff that I will remember until I too pass.
I miss Capt. Kirk.
Best.
I am going to say that we catch a lot of flak from members over on the other side of the Gun Broker hall who don't especially care for the way that this forum is run; fortunately virtually all of the complaints are directed at me and not Bert or NN and this is as it should be. Our goal here in ATE is to have a forum that is a resource and not simply a diversion or escape from reality; we are trying to learn from each other. This forum was created from nothing by CaptKirk; the ten post rule and the way we play the game here are the way that he envisioned that a forum like ours should be run and so far as I am concerned nothing will change here. We have the best staff here in this forum and the best GB members are here to assist and answer questions without byplay, pot stirring and endless agendas.
No one man could have replaced Kirk as the ATE forum administrator and when I was given the position I did not pretend to try and fill his shoes. What I can promise is that I will do my absolute best to keep Kirk's forum ideas alive.
RIP Captain Kirk.
W.D.