After a good nights sleep at the Quality Inn in Houston I was driven helter-skelter to Freeport where I joined the good ship Mark C! This vessel was discharging windmill blades ashore and once completed and after being given permission to sail on the vessel to Houston itself the ropes were let go the vessel steamed on its merry way!
The very American Pilot (the guy to whom ship Captains are legally bound to listen to as they navig ate in enclosed w ate rs) carried on his conversation without falter as I entered the bridge!
"20 degrees to starboard"? He said not really listening to the half-hearted grunts given out of politeness! He continued talking loudly to the Captain and the AB at the steering wheel not two feet away!
I was down here only yesterday when a fast boat came out o'nowhere..
"136 degrees kind sir"! He shouted to the AB at the wheel
well, I said to the Captain, you all see that. Well, I think the Captain did see it as he was as white as a ghost
"Hard a port there friend" he bellowed to the sunken shouldered sailor!
. although it was dark right there on that lil ol bridge of his! We all saw it I'm goddam sure even though it was dark as a black mans scalp out there anyways we heard it I'm sure and I said he better get himself back into the channel pretty darn quick otherwise I'm sure he aint gonna make it back home in too many pieces I said!..........
"Make that a good 140 now sir; you're all doing a fine old job there now"! He drawled to a very silent AB at the wheel!
.aAnyways, that old captain he sure went white as a ghost so I said to him be careful old papa they don't slow down here for nobodies! And I tell you all that is what happened here a not a few days ago when one of those old speed boats just came shooting out of nowheres and hit a tree! An I'll tell you little brother all I heard was an splat right there in the middle of the river..
"On the right side of the green boooowiiieeee is just right where we all just want to be!" He shouted to nobody in particular as the vessel was obviously already on the green side of the buoy!
Yes sireee; a tree he hit and that tree is now bent right over waiting for it to happen right up the old darkened hole! Yessir, I tell you it was not pretty and they scraped him off the tree with shovels.
"Make that a fine 250 degrees there boy and half ahead there Captain"! He drawled!
..So anyways you all, just keep your eyes peeled around here coastline as it aint pretty when they go too darn fast for their own darn good!.............
"Full speed ahead there boy"! He shouted loudly as if shouting helped to increase the speed!
.. you all did I tell you all that you have to watch out for bears in this here goddam piece of America
I couldn't take much more of that codswallop! Luckily the AB at the wheel didn't speak much English but the Captain I'm sure was contemplating suicide! Sorry Captain but one of us has to survive that garbage and I guess its going to be me!
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