Beez Neez now Chy Whella

BB Dip

Big Bear and Pepe Millard

Thu 15 Jan 2015 23:57

Big Bear Takes an Unplanned Dip

Wednesday. Back to the normal view, this time with the cockpit looking like himself is preparing a stall for a jumble sale. I’m not asking but I think it’s to do with fixing the second solar panel. Oh yes, I can now see the skipper sitting to my right. There has been a certain amount of chuntering and bad words so I’m staying at my cabbage patch job. It is entertaining to watch him completely disappear down into the back lazerette. I’m on standby in case he can’t get out.... Mmmm don’t tempt me. I could cutely say that I didn’t mean the lid to fall and click locked........ He did let me win at backgammon this evening. Huh.

Thursday. I poked my head in the office this morning and most things looked about the same, there was a shiny number perched in a hole. Later, I heard Eureka. Come and see this. I’m really proud of my new panel, splendid with labels. Off I went back to the office. My Oh my, colour me happy. Very nice panel indeed. Then I smelt what seemed like a medical, iodine smell. Out came something black in the skippers paw. It’s the step-down transformer to the Sat Phone, it goes from twelve vaults to four point five volts you know, well it’s dead. Talk about one step forward, two sideways and three back. Grrrrrrrrrr.

I finished my latest chore around two o’clock. Only four days worth of cabbage patching. All mobile hard drives have been backed up to the big boys, plus a couple of extras as they became full. Said big boys now in their sturdy Pelican case, ready for their space on the shelf in the office – that is, when you-know-who has finished in there and I can have a sort out. Of course me being me, would have loved all the hard drives to have all been identical and all the labels in the exact same place to all look regimental and neat.........

Late afternoon Bear announced his intention of going ashore for a few bits at the electrickery shop. Never words I like to hear. Would you like to come, we could take our shower stuff and use the posh ones by Customs. Why yes, I think I will, sounds like a cunning plan. Now I should have thought at this point that Bear has been used to going out and about by himself and things may not follow the usual pattern, long years in the execution............ I’ll come back to that.

We spuddled off at a gentle pace in Baby Beez to the ‘bottom end’, that done we spuddled by ‘Q’ dock heading for the ‘top end’. On the quarantine dock was one new entry, on closer look – Bear Necessity, now that is a wonderful name. Yes Bear.

We had a good look around Burnsco’s and I bought a couple of bits in the fishing department and ordered the Pilot Book for Indonesia and Thailand. Sounded exciting as Nick, the manager took down the details. We bimbled in the afternoon sun to the corner shop and settled overlooking the ferry dock pie in hand. Bear went back for a hokey-pokey ice cream and I enjoyed my pineapple drink on a stick. Next, a discreet stop under a tree for me to become a barber and remove the ‘old man of the sea’ look, that done was the promised posh shower. Indeed it was, I’m glad I had been warned that the hot power shower would go cold at four minutes but keep blasting out water. I did my well practised routine and was ready at the first drop of cold to leap out of the way. Bear was waiting, God in his heaven and all was well with the world. Back to Bay Beez. There is a little chop in this headwind, we may get a little wet. Very famous last words. It wasn’t too bad and only a few minor splashes......... Now as we approach the back of Beez I always make a grab for the Hydrovane, if I miss I go for the stern platform side bar, if I miss we go around again. I missed the Hydrovane because we were going too swiftly but I caught the side bar. Bear allegedly thought I’d missed altogether and made a grab for the Hydrovane. SPLASH. Baby Beez had whipped round in my grab. I looked over the side and saw Bear, head below and gurgling, I guess bad words and his left lower leg still clinging to the side of Baby Beez. More gurgling and the left foot let go. I was helpless, would have been no good at all at any rescue attempt. The bedraggled hauled himself up the swim ladder. I looked up.

All I could see was a pretty waterfall from Bears shorts.

The look on the face said it all. Several mutterances ending with two bob and shower. An archetypal slapped arse face in fact.

Whilst Bear dealt with suspending Baby Beez I set out his shower stuff on the back step and took the purse indoors. A beer bottle became the perfect stand for the leather to dry, the mobile draining board was set out with the moist to wet contents. I washed the salt off the phone and waited for himself to come in – clean again, again............

Later, after supper I was held to a nasty defeat at backgammon and then we settled to Rummikub - our first game of the year. Drawing a tile each to see who goes first was incredible – both drew the red five. Bear pulled another tile putting it down with his finger on the number, I put down the red three he uncovered the black three. Next I drew the red two, Bear uncovered the yellow three. Considering there are two hundred and ten tiles in the bag............. Oh I actually lost two of our three games and went to bed minus eight down, affronted or what...........yes, but I doubt it will stay that way for long and I have had a traumatic, unplanned and unceremonious fall in the drink today.

Too true, too true. Huh.

At bedtime Bear checked the phone. Dead, a spot of water had got into the battery bit. But it’s waterproof I cry, you told me it was waterproof. Don’t say another word. Consider me silent. In fact I will now think that we have gone two steps forward, eight sideways and too many to count backward...................... Any contact for now is via email as temporarily we have no mobile and no sat phone. Growl, hiss and snort. Ooo.

I think every time I need a cheer-up-thought, I’ll just picture the pretty waterfall......... Huh and Double Huh...................