By 6:00 AM the smallest measure of relief was evident. The wind had dropped to fifty and the rain let up perceptibly. Somewhere far beyond the thick cloud cover, the sun was peeking over the horizon. The hours of absolute darkness were giving way to dim light. The howling and screaming of the wind subsided to tolerable levels and there was reason to hope that the worst was over. Skeeter, Susan and Max had stayed up thorough the night, keeping vigilant for the possibility that in some small way they might be able to perform remedial repairs that might be needed. Now they were busy mopping up rain that had entered the house through jalousie windows and under doors.
In the barracks, Cameron and Godfrey stood watch. The double hung storm windows and plywood coverings had held against the wind and the interior of the house was still dry. In the living room and kitchen/dining area were Coleman lanterns to provide light. Those guards who wanted to sleep, and were able to sleep, were permitted to do so. Each of the four prisoners were housed in separate bedrooms, sharing their quarters with the guards. They were given beds in which to lie down. To keep them secure, each prisoner had a wrist shackled to the iron railing of the bed. With the worst of the storm over, transporting the prisoners to the lock up in Nassau could be accomplished easily.
With electricity out all over the island, Skeeter was glad he had insisted on bringing the generator up from Conchy Lady to the house. It was a sturdy generator, the one from the barge. It could put out 5,000 watts of electricity, which was enough to plug in a few lights and run the refrigerator and a few other smaller kitchen appliances. Susan would soon be making breakfast and coffee for her crowd and everyone in the barracks as well.
Max and Skeeter were shocked when they finally walked down to the turning basin to check on the boats. The tree that was used to secure Conchy Lady had fallen over in the storm. When it fell, the main line holding the bow went slack. The boat was then free to move about. Fortunately for Bimini Twist and Miss Fit, the wind and water drove Conchy Lady back onto the dock. Had the wind swirled around, the boat might have battered the other two boats to pieces. As it was, the stern was resting on the splintered dock and the bow was angled down deep in the water. The automatic bilge pumps that were located in the midship and stern were useless against the rain and seawater that had filled the forward compartments. A crack four inches wide and three feet long appeared across the boat’s underside. The wheelhouse had ripped loose and was lying half on the deck, half in the water. Conchy Lady was a total wreck.
Bimini Twist and Miss Fit fared much better. Both were riding high and still secure in their moorings. Some of the branches of the tree that had fallen were partially covering Bimini Twist. There was no question that it would leave scratches on the finish of the bow area. The windshield on Miss Fit appeared to have been hit by a loose coconut or some other type of flying projectile. It was caved in and shattered. Both boats were covered in branches and leaves. These problems were small considering that the boats had ridden out a hurricane.
Max glimpsed at Skeeter who was looking intently at his wrecked boat. The damage was so extensive that there was no hope of salvaging it. Perhaps the diesel engines would be useful to someone or as a start in building a new boat. But Skeeter did not waste time fretting about what he could not change. He turned his attention to the dock, which was something he could do something about.
“Sorry about your boat,” Max said. “You two have a lot of miles together. I hope you have insurance.”
Skeeter looked at Max. “You know how that is, I have insurance but they never pay what the boat is worth. They send adjusters out and then try to rip you off. I’ll miss the old girl, she’s saved my life many times. We’re like old friends. Like you and the Twist.”
“I completely understand,” said Max. “Your boat can be a great ally and sometimes a life saver. When you love your boat, it can really make you happy just to be on it. Even in rough weather, even when the fish aren’t biting.”
“Right now I need to think about what to do about this dock,” said Skeeter. “First I’ve got to get this boat off of it, then I have to repair it.”
“There’s nothing can be done right now. Instead of us standing here in the rain fretting over the situation, let’s go back to the house and get warm and dry, and wait for the weather to clear. Later in the day we can come back to this problem.”
Max and Skeeter made their way back up the path to the house. They walked stooped over like old men, carrying burdens. Skeeter had lost his boat, and his dock was a wreck. Inside the house things were much cheerier. The people there were celebrating being alive. Happy to have made it through the storm, happy to have each other for companionship, happy to have hot coffee and warm dry clothes.
Susan sympathized with Skeeter when he told her about the wrecked boat and dock. In this part of the world a man’s boat was an important part of his survival. They were used to make a livelihood as Skeeter had done for many years. They were used for transportation and recreation, as well. But Skeeter did not want sympathy and he did not want Susan to worry about him or the boat. They took a few minutes aside to discuss what this new turn of events meant and how they would plan to cope with it. Soon Skeeter felt much better and was ready to face the cleanup with renewed energy and enthusiasm.
By early afternoon the wind was down to twenty knots. The waves in the Sea of Abaco were reduced to a moderate chop. The clouds had thinned, letting in much more sunlight. The rain was a light drizzle. Now people were moving about taking care of the cleanup. Most of the debris was from tree limbs and leaves. There were roof tiles of every conceivable color strewn about the island.
Gaffer and Matthew went exploring to assess the damage. There was a satellite dish submerged in the shallow water, many of the boats they saw were partially sunk, and every pothole of every road was full to the brim with water. It was a very wet scene, but surprisingly there was not much irreparable damage. Just like back at the Pincus residence, people were scurrying about cleaning up and assessing damage. The storm had caused no deaths or injuries, and no one was left homeless. Hurricanes were never a good thing in these vulnerable islands, but at least this time there was much to be grateful for.
One way or other, Conchy Lady would need to be moved. That process started by pumping diesel fuel from her tanks into fifty gallon drums on shore. Skeeter was not sure if, or when he would ever get a chance to use this fuel, but somebody was certain to have a need for it and he most assuredly could not leave it on board when he disposed of the wreckage. While the job of removing the fuel was taking place, Max climbed aboard Bimini Twist to get a closer look at the damage. He began by sawing the branches that were lying across the bow. When they were cleared out and dragged to shore, Max poured buckets of water over the deck to get rid of at least some of the dirt and leaves that the storm had brought. He untied three lines from the shore, leaving three lines to keep the boat secure. Then he decided to give it the final check. He reached into the center console and turned both battery switches to the ‘all’ position. He then moved around to the rear of the boat and squeezed the rubber primer bulbs to get the fuel moving through the lines. He returned to the helm and placed both throttles into the high idle setting and choked the gas. It surprised him that the batteries were as strong as they were. It took only a few seconds of cranking and the port engine fired right up. The same with the starboard. When the engines revved in neutral he pulled back on the throttle and allowed the engines to idle. The first order of business was to hit the manual bilge switch. Immediately when he did, he could hear the steady stream of bilge water splashing against the surface of the turning basin. To the extent possible he cleaned around the deck further, first with buckets of sea water and then a final rinse with the fresh water wash down hose.
Skeeter and a few helpers carried what personal items and valuable pieces of machinery and gear they could up to the house. The storage areas were emptied, registrations, licenses, all manner of paperwork and charts, and all the safety equipment w
as salvaged. Skeeter had a valuable array of electronics including a modern GPS Chart Plotter, VHF radio, a Raytheon depth finder capable of reading the bottom accurately at 5,000 feet, and a two year old Furunu radar unit. All these instruments would also be removed before the boat was towed to its final resting place.
While Skeeter continued to dismantle Conchy Lady, Max moved over to Miss Fit to see what he could do to bring it back to life. It needed the same type of cleaning that Bimini Twist had gotten, leaves, branches, sand and other flying debris. The big stuff could be carried off the boat and deposited on shore. The finer debris would float out the scuppers with a few buckets of water. A fresh water rinse down, followed by a wipe down with an old towel, had the Ocean Master looking its pre-storm best, with the exception of the caved in windshield. Max went through the same procedures as before, priming the gasoline, positioning the battery switch to the ‘all’ position and pumping the choke. That done, he hit the ignitions and both engines came alive. As the Ocean Master sat idling in its spot, Max untied three of the restraining lines. He hit the manual bilge switch which immediately caused a stream of water to flow out the side of the boat.
Skeeter called over to where Max was fiddling with Miss Fit, “Max, why don’t you go see if Abaco Diver made it through the storm. Take Gaffer and Matthew and they can help you bring it back here.”
“That sounds like a plan,” Max called back. He switched the engines off and climbed back on shore. As he headed up the path to find the two boys, he ran into Cameron and P.J. headed his way. Since Gaffer and Matthew were not available, P.J. and Cameron agreed to go on the errand with him.
Since Bimini Twist was blocked in by Miss Fit and the wreckage of Conchy Lady, Max decided to take the Ocean Master instead. This had an added benefit because if they had to tow Abaco Diver, this boat had the power to do it.
Three hours later Skeeter could see Max returning with the second boat close behind. Knowing that the turning basin was full of boats, branches and rubble, Max instructed Cameron to prepare to board Abaco Diver with the purpose of anchoring it for the night. By the time that was done and the Ocean Master was secured in the turning basin, dusk had arrived. It was nearly dark by the time they settled into their living arrangements for the night.
With the new situation, the Pincus house having some electricity, the barracks having none, Gaffer and P.J. accepted Susan’s offer to stay with them. Everything in the house was dry and comfortable. The rain had stopped and the clouds moved away. The small crest of silver moon shown across the Sea of Abaco creating a shiny path of light on the water for as far as the eye could see. In the stillness and darkness, the stars shone sparkling bright against the ink black sky.
Twenty-seven
Miss Fit
By the following day, the world was looking brighter for Skeeter and Susan. They had spent part of the previous evening examining possibilities. It was the kind of discussion held in a thousand households throughout the Bahamas and Caribbean Islands after every hurricane. Property was destroyed and lives were upset. With decidedly fewer resources, people everywhere were exploring their options. Today Skeeter had a new and improved outlook. The bottom line was that the only property he had lost was his fishing boat. His family and his home were safe. He was a capable man, his wife was supportive of him. He would get by. No, he would thrive.
Abaco Diver was in good running condition, so the decision was made to use it to tow the barge back into place. Cameron promised to have security on the barge full time, as soon as it was back on site. The offshore conditions were improving, but still not good enough to attempt to move the barge. That was OK because it would take a day to install the winch from Conchy Lady onto Abaco Diver. That winch was an important part of the boat’s usefulness to the project.
Cameron gave Gaffer a primo job. Virgil Price would be arriving at Treasure Cay at noon. Somebody had to go pick him up and bring him to Great Guana. Oh, by the way, the tree that had fallen into the turning basin had Bimini Twist blocked in, he’d have to take the Ocean Master. Did he mind?
“Do I mind!” exclaimed Gaffer. “Get out of the way, I’m ready to go now.”
“Not yet,” said Cameron. “He won’t be here for two hours.”
“There’s plenty to do here while you wait,” said Skeeter. “Dig in to the work and the time will go faster.”
“What do you want me to do?” asked Gaffer.
“That tree that’s blocking the turning basin needs to be moved. It needs to be chopped up and taken out limb by limb. You work on it for a while with Matthew and P.J. The sooner we get it out of there, the sooner we can get Bimini Twist back out on the water.” Skeeter handed the boys an armload of tools, two saws, a hatchet and several machetes. “You need to wear gloves to do this. Those tools are sharp and the area will be full of splinters.”
The boys headed down to the turning basin ready to get busy. Gaffer climbed onto Bimini Twist and retrieved three pairs of fishing gloves. P.J. deposited the tools on the bank of the basin and told Matthew to stand back. When Matthew was at a safe distance, P.J. began hacking away at branches. For Matthew’s safety they gave him the job of dragging the limbs up the bank and out of the way. The fifty year old pine tree was nearly 100 feet long and was dense. There were a lot of branches to chop. The work was slow and tiring, but within two hours most of the limbs had been separated from the trunk and dragged away.
Gaffer dived into the turning basin and swam across to where his father and Skeeter were working with five of the Defense Force guards. The winch had been removed from the remains of Conchy Lady and was lying on the deck of Abaco Diver. The dive boat had a rigid top to keep the tourists out of the sun. Part of it would have to be cut away along with a portion of the bench along the starboard gunwale.
“Dad, can I go now?”
“Can’t you wait a little while?” teased Max.
Gaffer was impatient to get behind the wheel of the Ocean Master. “No, I can’t wait any longer. Can I please go?”
Skeeter laughed. He understood Gaffer’s impatience. “Go!” he said. “Go to Treasure Cay and pick up Mr. Price. Go now.”
Gaffer smiled broadly and climbed up onto the Miss Fit’s dive ladder. He rinsed himself down with the fresh water hose, toweled himself off and stood behind the helm. While he readied the boat to go, P.J. and Matthew joined him. Matthew handled the dock lines as Gaffer maneuvered the boat away from its mooring and out into the open. There was a two to three foot chop, perfect for seeing what this boat could do. Gaffer throttled up to 3,400 RPMs. It was not so much speed he felt as it was power. Two outboard motors totaling 600 horsepower pushed the 10,000 pound boat through the water. In an instant Gaffer understood what it was all about, how this boat had gotten its name. The Ocean Master plowed through the waves like they weren’t even there. A lesser boat would have pounded or been tossed around. Miss Fit just knocked the waves out of the way. The only sensation of motion was forward, there was no side-to-side, no rolling, just steady plowing ahead. He enjoyed the ride so much that he found himself idling into the marina at Treasure Cay long before he was ready. The ride was enjoyable but over far too soon.
Virgil Price had a plane delay and was an hour late for his rendezvous with his ride. It drove Gaffer crazy as he was anxious to get back out on the water on this fantastic machine. When Virgil met up with the boys he could not understand why they were so agitated. He thought they would be glad to see him, but they did not act that way.
“P.J., what’s wrong. Are you guys OK?”
“This boat is so cool,” said P.J. “We’ve been waiting a long time to get back on the water to try it out some more. It’s so cool.”
Virgil turned to Gaffer, “Well, Gaff, show me what it can do.”
While they idled out of the marina, Virgil contacted Cameron on the VHF radio. He received a quick rundown on the activities of the past few days and gave Cameron orders to carry out until he arrived. After several communications back and forth, Virgil had
instructions for Gaffer. “We need to swing by the barge to see how it rode out the storm. Do you know where to find it?”
Gaffer picked up the radio handset and called Cameron back. “Cameron, this is Gaffer. Where is the barge?”
Cameron came right back on the radio with the coordinates. Gaffer thanked him and pushed the throttles forward. Virgil called over the roar of the engines, “Don’t you need to write down those numbers? Can you remember them in your head?”
“I don’t have to remember them,” said Gaffer. “I know all the main numbers for this area. I just need the last three latitudinal numbers. There aren’t that many longitudinal numbers in the Sea of Abaco.”
Virgil gave that some thought for a minute and understood. He nodded at Gaffer and smiled. In response Gaffer pushed the throttles to the wall and turned his hat around backwards to keep it from blowing off. Virgil turned his hat around too and sat back to enjoy the ride.
By the time Miss Fit entered the turning basin, Godfrey, with help from Jenny, had removed what was left of the tree from the water. Skeeter and Max had completed the installation of the winch and were testing its motor. Three of the more mechanically minded guards had installed the radar system from Conchy Lady onto Abaco Diver. It was working perfectly and the guards could now keep an eye on the wreck site from the wheelhouse of the dive boat. Abaco Diver was ready to move the barge and the turning basin was now clear. Bimini Twist was no longer trapped.
In the days that followed, the barge was returned to the wreck site and permanently moored as before. Virgil assigned five of his best guards to accompany the prisoners to incarceration in Nassau, which they did without incident. The remains of Conchy Lady were patched together just well enough for one more trip. It was ceremoniously towed out to an area near to the wreck site, where it was permitted to sink to the bottom in eighty feet of water, to create an underwater habitat.
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