North Sea Tales

It would have been a short phone call to Control, probably from a noisy watering hole, making sure the ship had sailed, and that the door had been closed behind them.

The person making the order has never been at sea, or dealt with anything marine in its nature at all, but that order had been put through the chain, which would have included someone with maritime experience.

These marine personnel who were now clawing for executive positions, were the “Bastards” in question.

The Skipper was however concerned with what was now becoming a rapidly worsening situation, the wind was now shrieking at over 80 knots, in gusts.

“Ok, Control, message received LOUD AND CLEAR!”

“Aberdeen Pilots out”

This terse reply was about all the Pilot boat cox could spit out, he was furious, but needed to sound professional, as who knew whom was listening?

On board the ship, it was now struggling.

The Skipper was doing his best to nurse the vessel through the messy confused seas found close to shore, with large waves now breaking, in the shallow water.

“Is everything secured? I MEAN EVERYTHING!! ”

The Mate didn’t need to answer, he was on the phone to the galley and mess room, getting confirmation everyone knew what they were in for..

The second Mate went to the large floor to ceiling “Deck to Deck head” windows aft at the aft steering consoles and looked down to the well lit after deck, checking that nothing was moving, or out of place.

The Chief disappeared down the thin stairway into the accommodation, no mean feat, for a man of his “Maturity” and size, but his bulk belied the muscles built into his frame, that years of working sometimes months at a time on these small ever moving rolling pitching, slamming and shuddering, bloody awkwardly moving supply ships, had built up.

He fell, in a very controlled way, down 3 flights of stairs, and into the engine room entrance doorway, ramming his feet expertly, into his engine room boots, and making for the cramped engine control room.

“We need everything double secured, we are in for a very rough night!”

The second engineer and he made their way amongst the many moving parts, and hot surfaces to ensure everything was secured. They retightened the lashings on heavy spares, and rechecked all their familiar adversaries that had in the past fought with them, bruising, scraping, bleeding them, until the unruly spares and equipment ant tools had been recaptured and restrained.