Crossing the line - (17)
|
However, because of our watches, changes in winds etc, I wasn’t informed until the morning as to exactly when we would cross, so the crew were given the option of performing for King Neptune. We were due to cross at about 17.30 hours, so Davy Jones said he would be back at 17.00hrs to check they were ready to receive His Majesty. Well, once again the refrigeration interfered, as Roger had to empty the gas out and find out what type of compressor it was for his contact in Ft Lauderdale to send us a new one and it had to be done right then!!!! So consequently, the ceremony was a little rushed. But in accordance with the protocols, medicine had been prepared by the nurse.
Usually it is dishwater and some other slops. Then the crew had to be ‘clean shaven’ This is normally done by covering them in all sorts of sticky mess and using a fake razor to shave it off. Well we used shower gel foam instead. The crew were also considered to be inappropriately dressed, so were given a new uniform, of grass skirt, leis and coconut shell bras.
I quickly went and changed into King Neptune, sounded my conch shell (I am getting pretty good at this by now) and appeared on the afterdeck before the ‘slimy wogs’.
One by one they recited poems and rhymes they had written in the hope of leniency. They all crossed over to becoming Shellbacks and received their certificates. It was good fun but also showed due respect to his majesty.
Now as we crossed the equator a strange thing happened. Prior to crossing, we had a new crew member (no 7) a Red footed Booby, who had perched on the pulpit at the Bow.
But as we approached the equator, lots more Boobies appeared from nowhere and by the time we crossed, we had about 10 on board. All neatly lined up. They stayed with us until 07.00 the next morning, then flew off!!!
By now we have had a change of plans (there’s a surprise). Because of having to sort out the refrigeration, we have been speaking with Dave from Soggy Paws (a CSY44 walk thru) and Graham (our friend from Eowyn) about how, where and when. Soggy Paws was due to depart Isabela on March
1st, so instead of staying in We contacted Bolivar, our agent, to advise him we would
now be clearing in at Academy Bay on Santa Cruz island (after having explained
our predicament), as it was closer to Isla Isabela (are you keeping up with
this???). However, as you know by now if you have been following our blog,
things never quite work out the way they are planned. We were making good
progress (motoring of course. Thank god we have such big fuel tanks) and that in
itself created a problem, we would make a night landfall at We managed to contact Bolivar, but Graham had been out of
contact for a couple of days, so he had set sail for UPDATE……FISH, NIL……LURES, ONE.
|
We were getting ever closer to the equator,
which meant ‘The Crossing The Line Ceremony’. As the only Shellback on board
(someone who has officially crossed the line) it fell to me to perform the
ceremony and initiate The Pollywogs (someone who hasn’t crossed).
I had spent sometime adapting the official
ceremony to suit the confines of 
Normally, the night before you cross, the Captain is
commanded by one of King Neptunes’ trusty shellbacks (in this case me dressed as
Davy Jones) to provide a list of all the ‘slimy wogs’ (pollywogs) for King
Neptune when he boards the vessel. It is usual to have a talent show, where
people may perform in the hope of winning some leniency in the ceremony the
following day. 
It consisted of a shot of Bailey’s immediately followed
by a shot of lime juice (yes, it curdles nicely). This is much better than most
endure. 
Once they were ready, they were sent onto the afterdeck
to await the arrival of King Neptune. 
