Audrey Liza – Chapter 10
Southern Sunrise
The yard was hard at work when he got back on Monday, mid-afternoon, after dropping Leigh off. He suppressed a feeling that he’d been caught bludging. He was a customer, as Stan kept reminding him, not an employee. He had no obligation to keep regular hours, could come and go as he pleased.
‘Good trip?’
‘Yeah, fine, thanks. Great trip, actually.’
What was Stan up to? Why was the little rodent so conspicuously, suspiciously glad to see him?
The rodent coughed.
‘Found a job for you, mate.’
‘A job!? Got enough to do with this, thanks.’
‘Oh, this one’ll suit you. Not an opportunity you’ll want to miss.’
‘Right.’
What’s your game, Stan?
‘Get some shipboard experience, learn the ropes, use your professional skills …’
‘Eh?’
‘Boat called Southern Sunrise is a crew member down. COVID. Chief Engineer needs a sparky urgently.’
‘What the —? I’ve got no experience at sea. None. You know that.’
Stan held up his hands in a placatory gesture.
‘Hear me out, okay? No sea time needed for this job, ’cause the skipper’s desperate. Just needs a qualified electrician who can find his way around a three-phase, four-forty volt, three-wire system, hydraulics preferably too. I’ve already given him your name, told him you were a clean-living, hard-working, mature bloke who’s keen to get experience on a working vessel at sea.’ He winked. ‘Following up on our little chat the other night. Like you asked.’
What had he said to Stan – after the evening became an alcoholic blur? Whiskey-induced bravado had a lot to answer for.
‘Thanks, mate. I’ll … ah … have to think about it. This is all a bit sudden.’
‘Eh? “Think about it?” You haven’t got time to think. A good word from me and one from Doc was enough. Called in a favour. Get yourself down to Constitution Dock, mate! You’re hired.’
‘Like hell am I …’
‘She sails on Thursday, so you’ve got seventy-two hours to familiarise yourself with the vessel and its systems. Skipper’s expecting you this evening, six-thirty sharp.’
‘This evening? Forget it, mate. What kind of boat’s this Southern Sunrise anyway?’
This had to be a wind-up. Hadn’t it?
‘Deep-sea trawler.’
‘A trawler? You’re fucking kidding me.’
‘I’m fucking not,’ retorted Stan, outraged now. ‘Lovely big boat she is, fifty-six metre purse seiner. Twenty-three crew. Onboard fish-processing plant. State of the art. Fifteen knots. She’ll get you down to Macquarie in four days.’
‘Macquarie Island? But I’ve got work to do here …’
‘That’s all right. We’ll look after your little boat while you’re gone. Eh, boss?’
Doc nodded vigorously. ‘We’ll manage, Jamie boy. You go off and have fun. Skipper sent through some paperwork. Medical disclaimer and so forth. Lex printed it off for you.’
Lex stepped forward with a shy smile, handed him a sheaf of papers in a plastic wallet. He glanced at the top page. A photo of an imposing-looking vessel: SOUTHERN SUNRISE. Crew Joining Instructions …
‘Macquarie Island! How long’s this trip going to take?’
‘Oh, depends … How far they have to go to find the fish … How many times they have to shoot the net to fill the hold. Big hold, too. It’ll be interesting for you … Somewhere between ten days and a fortnight, I should reckon.’
‘A fortnight!?’
‘Don’t forget to pack some warm clothes.’
Shit shit shit. What was he letting himself be railroaded into here? Stanley Kowalczyk, you little prick.
‘You can only take one seabag, you know.’
‘I haven’t even got a seabag.’
‘Don’t worry, you can use mine.’
Of course, he was under no obligation to play along, thought Jamie. Even as he sorted through his clothes. Nobody could make him do this.
It would be stinking hot down in the engine room, stuffy and warm in the crew quarters and galley, air-conditioned on the bridge, freezing and wet on deck, in the fish room and the hold. He’d have to work in all those areas at sea, Stan said. At sea, in fuck-knows what weather. Hurricane-force winds and ten-metre seas could be on the cards, Doc reckoned.
‘Course, they’ll give you a survival suit, sea boots, gloves, all the safety gear …’
Bugger it. Might as well take everything. Everything that would fit in this very small bag.
It would do a lot for his reputation in the yard, and ease tensions, if he showed he was a good sport. But a fortnight, jeez …
It’d be interesting. A great opportunity, when you thought about it, for someone who was about to become the skipper of an ocean-going vessel himself.
What would the skipper of the deepsea trawler Southern Sunrise make of his new geriatric greenhorn crewman?
‘Jamie, Jamie.’
He looked up from his packing.
‘Doc.’
A great, joyous grin split the man’s face in two.
‘It’s a wind-up, mate.’
‘Eh?’
‘There’s no trawler. Sorry. We didn’t think you’d fall for it.’
Jamie was stunned for a moment that felt like an hour.
‘You bastards … You utter bastards … BASTARDS!’
He heard the explosion of laughter from the shed.
‘What I find interesting though,’ said Doc thoughtfully, after Jamie had run out of swear words, ‘is that you were up for it.’
Jamie reflected.
‘Yeah, reckon I was, you know … Kinda surprised myself, actually.’
He was borderline disappointed, he realised in wonder.
‘This?’ He waved the sheaf of papers.
‘Young Lex knocked it together from some stuff we found online. Pretty good on the computer, that girl.’
Jamie shook his head. Gullible or what?
‘Look. We can ask around, find you some crewing opportunities. Real ones.’
‘Yeah. Great. Thanks. Yeah, do that.’ Jamie’s head was still spinning.
‘Something more suitable than a bloody great trawler, though, eh?’
Doc patted him on the back.
‘C’mon. You’re just in time for smoko.’
‘Thanks, I’ll stay here and unpack.’
‘Gotta face the music sooner or later, Jamie boy.’
And so Jamie walked into the shed to applause and laughter. Took a bow and accepted a mug of hot, strong tea from Stan.
The bastard.
END OF PART ONE
Part Two will begin on Tuesday 1 July.
OMG, I am already hooked. With friends the likes of Jamie’s, one needs no enemies! I see a great adventure in reading coming soon! Thanks, Steve!
Oh wow! I absolutely love this new story. Especially when coupled with its Friday twin. Brilliant! Thanks Steve.