JonDLundyn Parker adventure Book 2 #4/3
January 2nd 2007 06:54
The reason they are out there!
Laura Ann was still at sea listing badly with her fish boxes in her hold come loose and unstable. Rod Dunning her skipper was fighting her into Coffs Harbour. Supposedly an all weather port but the seas at the port entry were huge and though not breaking he had reports of waves crashing well over the breakwater and carrying off blocks of concrete weighing many tons. He took a stoic stance and made sure again that Randy and Doggy were waring their life jackets and continued his battle with the elements.
Sonja was tying the mighty black marlin off to the side of Beats Working when the skipper called down from the bridge deck. As she looked up to him he made a cutting motion with the edge of his hand. Sonja looked at the charter who had also seen the sign. He gasped and tears ran down his cheeks. No, he mouthed no, no, no. He held both his hands up to his face. He was shattered with the fight, no energy left, mental and physically exhausted against the fish. Over eight hours of fighting but he had won. Or had he? The elements were with the fish. It still lived, albeit just weakly but he realised now to save themselves from the coming storm they must free what was sure to be a world record fish. His eyes met Sonja’s as she moved to the rope holding the tail of the marlin. He nodded and gave a weak smile and a shrug. He was really tough thought Sonja, a sportsman.
As the second mast went over the side Paul Murray hit the starter and as the diesel fired pushed her into gear. Te Ahuni Slowly started to gather way and then Terry came bounding along the deck avoiding the piles of rigging and as he was wrenching the gear lever to neutral everyone on board could sense the ship come to an unnatural stop. The smell of burning oil wafted up from the engine room. And still the waves crashed the masts against the hull threatening to hole her. “No engine” yelled Terry; “we still have all that rigging over the side. We have probably wound some around the prop shaft now!”
Paul looked aghast at Terry. “I’m sorry Terry I thought I was doing the right thing. We were dead in the water.”
“Grab an axe Paul and lets get rid of this rigging. And what ever you do, don’t go over the side.”
Captain Des Rawlings sat in the deck chair under a sun awning with a steaming coffee in his hand. ANSWERS had proved its worth again. One of their tugs had hauled a badly listing Laura Ann into Coffs Harbour some how both ships survived an horrendous entry to the harbour through six meter seas and forty five knot winds. Beats Working had asked for assistance to come into Yamba across the bar. Radio links to the vessel from shore and the skipper sitting high in the fishing tower had assisted her to time an entry around huge offshore waves. Te-Ahuni had been assisted by helicopter when a marine mechanic was dropped on board by winching wire; he had first dived overboard to free the prop shaft of rigging wire. This involved over two hours in the water attached by lifeline to the yacht. He had then unseized three of the pistons enough to start the motor and get her into port.
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