A Life Afloat (Maybe)

Chapter 5

After making his way home from the boatyard and his latest meeting with Alec, Pete found himself deep in thought, mainly along the line of 'why am I doing this?', 'Is this what I really want?', 'Will I be making a fool of myself?', surprise, surprise, he came to no conclusion as to what he really thought and what he really wished for, just another relatively sleepless night was his prize, for he was, as he said to himself, simply over thinking things and not convincing himself in any way at all he closed his eyes once more and tried to sleep, again without much success.

After he had started the day in the usual way, ablutions, sort out the sleeping arrangements, setting up the table for breakfast, this time he had brioche rolls, not toast. With agreeing not to meet with Alec until after mid-day he spent the rest of the morning doing a bit of cleaning and shopping for himself and making a flask of coffee that he hoped would not offend Alec, it just seemed to him that he was getting a lot of 'something for nothing' apart from dirty hands and that it was his turn to supply the refreshments that they would no doubt need during the afternoon. Eventually, after deciding that he had wasted enough time he climbed on his bike and made his way to the boatyard hoping he would not be too early.

Much to his surprise, that was happening a lot these days, he found Alec sat there on his yacht, as if he had been there for hours and he had, for Pete noticed that both the rudder, that flat paddle like thing coming out of the stern and the keel, he thought it was called, a sort of triangular shaped thing that had a sort of largish roundish tube at the base with a sort of rounded end at the front and back, well, that was how I would describe if someone asked me he thought, while he had been thinking those great thoughts and wobbling his way over to the fence to park his bike, Alec had noticed his arrival and had climbed down from the yacht, grinning as usual and commenting on his, Pete's, agility on a bike, Alec added that he had arrived just in time for the big event, returning his smile Pete said that he had noticed the paint job, 'bit of paint Rose had decided she did not want in doors', he asked, that, bringing a howl of laughter from Alec, not so lucky he replied, it was left over from when I repainted my rowing boat, I noticed yesterday that the keel and rudder were a bit shoddy, so came over very early to clean them up, only took about an hour he continued but I needed to get it done quickly as I had arranged with the yard workers to have the yacht lifted back into the water this afternoon.

Ah! So that's the big event you have been talking about Pete commented, also the reason you gave me the morning off, true said Alec, I wanted you here for the re-launch as you have been such a really big help to me, it can get very exciting, gets the heart racing, especially if the strops slip, almost heart attack time, he laughed, does that often happen Pete asked, no, very rarely Alec replied, these yard lads really know their business, I've only heard of it once before where a yacht was actually dropped or slipped from its strops. Looking around the yard Alec said, you timed it just right, they are bringing the crane up now, let the excitement begin he laughed, we'd better move to one side, over by the fence while they do their work, I'll join you in a minute, I want to be sure that they place those strops in the right position, make sure it's balanced, don't want to damage all your hard work, he laughingly said and with that wandered back over to talk to the workers, raising a laugh or two as he asked them to make sure not to drop it on his head as he already had a headache and then taking a stride or two back from them he watched very carefully as the two strops were slung under the yachts hull, making sure that they avoided trapping the keel, he moved further away as the team leader gave the crane driver a nod and a circular movement with his hand, Alec studied the scene and then wandered over to where Pete was waiting and looking a trifle on edge simply said 'here we go then' and turned to watch as the crane took the strain and slowly started to lift the yacht away from the trestle frame that had been its home for the last few weeks. Two of the workers were holding lines, one attached to the bow, another to the stern Alec pointed out, to stop her swinging in the breeze was his only comment, out over the water went the yacht and all of a sudden, there she was floating in her element, she looks just right Pete said to himself, looking over to Alec, Pete could see nothing but relief on his face, that and a beaming smile, looks great doesn't she, was his only comment and he walked away towards the man who appeared to be in charge of the whole event, Pete, staying where he was, decided he would not move until told to, or asked to by Alec to join him. He continued to watch the scene unfold before him, from nowhere it seemed, two men had appeared on the deck of yacht and started to unhook the strops and at the same time a small rowing boat using an outboard motor appeared at the bow of the yacht where the driver threw a rope to the man standing at the bow of the yacht and then, after securing the rope, they started to tow the yacht towards the small jetty that stood at the end of the boat yard with Alec walking along the yard watching even more carefully than before as his pride and joy was moved without him aboard and smiled an even bigger than his yacht was finally secured to the jetty by the yard workers with a couple of 'painters' he thought they were called, more like overgrown plastic sausages protecting the side of the yacht from damage by the old wooden jetty.

Gesturing to Pete, Alec called 'come aboard', Pete hurrying over and trying not making a fool of himself, climbed aboard, again trying to look as if he had been doing it all of his life, 'we are going to take her over to the marine engineer', 'we' croaked Pete, yes, of course 'we', Alec replied, you wanted to learn to sail, take this as your first lesson, once again roaring with laughter, although I have no doubt that the engine is in good condition, we are off to see the engineer will have a quick look at the engine and no doubt, he will, with great pleasure, tell me that it is a pile of junk and I need to replace it. Err, so what do I do? Asked Pete, just sit there and look as useless as you can, laughed Alec, it will be fun showing you around, telling you what to do but for now I will, hopefully, start the engine and motor us over to the other side of the river to Sam's workshop. For now, he continued, just untie that rope when I ask, no, tell you to, coil it up and keep it inboard, that's inside the boat to you Alec chortled, after fiddling around in the cockpit for a few seconds, Pete felt a slight tremble in the yacht as its diesel engine fired up with no apparent problem, I checked fuel, oil and water yesterday Alec said, once again with that big smile of his, so I had no real worries, with that he started to untie the rope that attached the stern of the boat to the jetty, no need to jump down on to the jetty as the small bollard was within easy reach for him indicating that Pete should do the same, with more nonchalance than he felt, Pete did as he was told, unloosed the rope from the bollard, coiled it up as instructed leaving it near the mast.

In no time at all, Alec had safely manoeuvred them across the river and come to rest beside a small pontoon, 'jump over the side' Alec told him and secure us to that small bollard please, shouldn't have to say please he laughed should I as I'm the skipper giving an order, but I'm a gent, at least for this afternoon he laughed, so much fun he continued, still laughing his head off, with that he himself jumped on to the pontoon and secured his line to the adjacent bollard, 'still trying to break up the place are you' yelled a stocky bearded man who ambled towards them, having come out of an old timber building, 'still trying to say that pile of old junk is a great boat' he guffawed, Pete, meet Sam said Alec as he introduced him, the biggest bum in the marine business but also the best marine engineer around, Pete shook hands with him, wishing he hadn't, it was like being gripped in a vice, so strong was the grip of his newest friend.

As Pete watched, Sam scrambling around on the floor of the cockpit, opened a square panel and delved inside, see you took my advice and kept it nice and clean he said, I've checked my records said Sam and it's not long since we serviced her for you, everything looks fine, you can't have done much motoring around the harbour and river through the winter and I see you have had her out of the water for a bit of a clean-up, I presume you saw no problems with the drive shaft and the screw while she was on the trestles, noted Sam, 'no' all was well said Alec, all I did was give the screw a bit of a clean and a polish, there was no movement on the drive shaft and the bearing seals looked fine, no sign of any grease, dry as a bone. That's fine, the visual check I just made, oil level looks fine, water pump is dry and she sounded fine as you pulled alongside, so just make sure you keep making you regular oil and water checks and you will be fine, another pleasant season before you, have fun and calm days, not too calm mind you, you need a bit of a wind to get you mobile in this old tub he laughed, by the way, how's the good lady, I've not seen her around recently he enquired, 'not to good these days' Alec sadly told him, that nasty dementia, the scourge of us older people, although I hear that youngsters get it these days, must be the way we live, 'damn' said Sam I'm so sorry to hear that she's a lovely lady, hope she gets better, gets remission isn't it called? He enquired, that's true said Alec it's what we are all praying for, OK then Alec, no bill for you this time was Sam's next comment, call me if you need me he said over his shoulder as he ambled his way back into his workshop, all the sailors round here would be in deep trouble if we did not have Sam around to tend to our needs, 'come on then, let's get moving, we've got that coffee of yours to drink, I can smell it from here, besides that we have a boat to sail and a novice to teach. All we can do today Alec said, is go back to my mid-stream mooring, tie up and start your education, this little statement was followed by gales of hilarity. Reminding Pete to untie the yacht from the mooring bollard, Alec did the same with the rear mooring after he had started the engine, smoothly and calmly he steered the yacht back into the river, headed up stream found the marker he was looking for, stopped the movement of the yacht where he allowed it to drift with the tide, then using a rod of some kind he hooked up on to a floating ball, ran past Pete and did the same at the bow and again with that big smile on his face said, there we are, all secure and settled for the time being because he said, shaking with mirth, we still have to get you ashore in the little rowing boat, still shaking, come on he said, get that coffee out I'm thirsty, we have a couple of hours yet before I have to go.