Beez Neez now Chy Whella

New Fridge

Big Bear and Pepe Millard

Tue 13 Dec 2011 23:02

To Tommy, a New Fridge and ‘Home’ Again

12th of December 2011. We left Beaufort Docks Marina at 08:00 to motor the short distance to Morehead City for the new refrigeration business. Bear had emptied the desk, removed it and the office door. Everything was obviously out of the fridge so once again the girl looked “well lived in”, as Tommy later politely described her. We had been told to look out for the old peoples home and pull in just past it.

We were alongside at 08:50 and Manny got stuck in to the job in hand inside

I wasn’t too excited when I saw what I had to back into but the boys took the ropes and all went. Safely in the slings at 10:50, I went to find a vantage point

Bear adopted his usual stance, Tommy took a phone call. Then Beez went up, down, up again and finally rested on the hard

After the outside work had been done, girl safely back in the water and tied on to the dock, Tommy announced that the boys would go to lunch before they did the connections. We had passed the Ruddy Duck on the way in, Tommy suggested that it would be a great place for us to eat some delicious local fish. Along the road we trotted; passing a sorry looking chick, the Carolina Sounder and Neptune, proving once again that we never know what we will see next. The Ruddy Duck was completely stripped for renovations and I was quite pleased the oyster place opposite was also undergoing end of season work, as I would rather chew my own foot off than swallow a wet gooey mollusc that smells of wet dishcloth. I’m sure there are people out there that disagree but I’ll never be tempted. We ended up in a café called the Beach Bum. Bear fancied shepherds pie – the dish of the day - when it arrived he was given a spoon to eat it with. He giggled as he thought it was due to being in close proximity to the old folks home. I said it was because they knew he couldn’t be trusted.

On the trot back to the yard we passed a bit of ‘Heath Robinson’ wiring

On our return the boys were just finishing the girl off. Bear got to flick the switch and the fridge purred to life. I asked how the boys would describe themselves, “Oh we are boat urologists”.

All done and dusted by 15:00, Bear went to hand over the MasterCard for a quick slap of $2500, that works out to the fridge costing an average of one hundred and forty pounds per year. OUCH. Our savings pot has just been annihilated. Pot Noodles for Christmas.

What no turkey and sprouts, Oh Dear.

Have you ever seen anyone not in the best of moods hurl an old fridge coolant plate.

Bear has.

Duck Bear, Duck.

I suddenly felt like this little chap. One eyed, one legged, cold and somewhat fed up.

Well Beds, Bernie, Bobby and Claude provided great comfort as usual. Today was the fifth time we have hoisted Beez Neez - so she has averaged one a year, not bad I suppose. The tides were all wrong now so we settled down for today, off around half nine on the morrow.

The captain posed in a chirpy fashion with the old folks home behind him and we were soon heading back to Beaufort.

We saw a painted sign “Be Cautious of Crane When Mooring Vessel”, why would anyone want to take her on, she was enormous compared to the chum docked in front of her

Another new one on us was passing Shearwater – a Seismic Survey vessel

A chum parked on the last corner before we radioed our return. The marina said for me to watch out for the last bit of current coming through the slips. They were waiting to take the lines from Bear and said “Welcome Back Home”. We thought sounded just swell. Now for rebuilding the desk, door back on, fridge wiped and filled. A swift backgammon victory for me to feel all was as it should be. Huh.