The Boss having left me all winter on my own has now left me again, on my own, in the dry dock at Tooley’s at Banbury for a few days and swanned off to stay aboard ‘Roots and Wings’ with Janis no doubt.
Honestly! It’s as if he doesn't like me anymore.
‘Roots and Wings’ went in just before me and even though she’d been left all over the winter on her own as well, she went in and out the dock ever so easily…. just like the meek and mild little thing she is. But I wasn’t going to do the same for my Old Man…. no way! I wanted him to know how I felt about the selfish way he’d left me for all that time.
Yes you’re right. I did need to have my bottom cleaned off but it was going to be on my terms rather than his, I’d make sure of that. Later on in the year perhaps would have been a better time for it.
So when the Boss took me down yesterday morning at eight o’clock I behaved as good as gold till he had lined me all up to go in and then I put my foot, or rather my bottom down, and just refused to go any further.
With an irritated look on his face the Skipper increased my revs (he can be such a spoiled child when he wants to be you know) but no, I wasn’t going to change my mind and I stayed firmly stuck in the entrance to the dock.
Next, Matt, and Graham came aboard and perched on my bow, hoping to lift my stern a bit higher while the Skipper, looking even more annoyed, kept the revs up. But I was made of sterner stuff than that and the next thing they did was call Linda, Graham’s lady, from the office to come and stand on the bow as well.
And they did look so silly all of them perched in front of my cratch cover all hanging on so precariously on top of my forepeak locker lid. They didn’t look very happy and I’m sure none of them felt safe either.
Because that wasn’t working, next the Skipper shut off the revs and hopped ashore with a stern rope hoping to lift my stern and with him pulling on the rope and the other three pushing on the overhead beams, I still didn’t move…… I intended them to work a lot harder than that to persuade me.
Next the Skipper went down and stood on the bow as well hoping that his extra heavy weight might make me lift my stern….. And they all pushed till their little faces went bright red, but I wasn’t going to move.
In the end though they got the electric winch out and I knew I would have to give in then otherwise my bow would have been pulled off or something. But I had made my feelings known and still I was not prepared to give in lightly.
But slowly, inch by inch, my bulk was hauled in until the lock boards could just be slid into place behind me and they would be able then to let the water out of the dock. I hoped by then though that the Skipper knew how I felt.
I have decided to start using the Skipper’s web page again to say what I want. The other site that I began using was too difficult for me to work and it’s so much easier using this one. I’ll just have to continue choosing the right moment, when he’s not around, to write.
Now I’ve managed to make my point (I hope), I must say it is nice to have him back home from abroad. He’s a job to put up with at times but I miss him when he goes away and I was ever so touched by his letters to me from New Zealand and Australia.
Shows he cares a bit, doesn’t it?
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