The Skipjack March Gale.

“Goddammit Cappy you gonna bust the mast right out of her you keep drivin her like this!”

Charles the cook, eyes big as saucers and obviously uneasy at the angle of heel (the lee rail was awash) and the speed the old girl was making through the water as he poked his head up through the companionway doors.

Even with a deck load of oysters the March Gail was fairly flying across the bay.

Atrus, gave him a hard look. “I’ll thank you not to use that language on this boat, Charles. You need to get below, tend your galley and leave the sailing to me. Send me up another shot o coffee too if it’s any made.”

“Yessir Cap, ah jus put on a fresh pot, it’ll be done in no time”

Charles scurried back below, and raised his eyes toward heaven and said “Lawd please let this ole boat hold together till we git to the dock!”

I was with rest of the crew on deck and watching with interest the race between the March Gale and the Lorena M.

Old man John, the Captain of the Skipjack Lorena M. had been making a point to antagonize Atrus.  It particularly annoyed him that Atrus and the crew of the March Gale regularly bested him. All morning, while they were dredging, taunts and rude comments, shouted over the wind and directed toward the Captain and crew of the March Gale. All morning, Ole Captain John would try to cut across our bow or try to get up to windward and steal our wind.

We knew eventually all this was going to end badly, and it did! On one tack, the Lorena M cut us real close just as we were coming about. Well sir, the end of our boom swept right across the stern of the Lorene M. Nothing hung up, but ole Captain John had to duck to keep from getting clobbered!

We all couldn’t help but laugh, Captain John all red in the face, getting madder and madder, yelling at his crew and all.  Captain Atrus seemed like he didn’t even notice, He set us on our new tack and just kept workin.

Captain John was given to having a good snort a whiskey in the morning time,

“just to get me going” he said. His crew, usually having to be rousted out after staying too late at the bar, were generally not at their best either, ‘specially first thing.

The Lorena M. was shoddy and ill found, her sails and rigging were raggely, patches here and there just to keep her going. Her multiple layers of paint were peeling off and her galley and cargo hold was cluttered and dirty. Castoff gloves and oilskins and various other items cast aside and strewn every which way. A thick pall of stale cigarette smoke and rotten bilge smell in the galley completed the effect.

 The galley deck hadn’t been mopped in…well a long time.

In contrast, the March Gale was well cared for. The boat was clean, and her gear and rigging were all first class. She had just come off the railway, so her bottom was nice and clean. The crew too, worked hard for Captain Atrus, we all knew he brooked no foolishness, but we all knew we would make money. Some of us he would keep on during the off season to help keep the March Gale up. We  knew too the Captain would look out for us, he made sure we ate good and the galley was always as comfortable as could be. Old Charles the cook always seen to that!

Charles, an older black man had been working these boats before most of us were even born. Some said he was a descendant of runaway slaves from the underground railroad and from the Indian tribes that used to live on the shores and marshes of the bay. None of us cared, we just knew him to be a good friend and a vital part of our crew.

 Even at his age he was as spry and agile as they come. We tried to keep him in the galley, but I swear he could not stand to see any of us working on deck. He had to jump in to lend a hand.

Charles could also throw together some of the best biscuits and oyster stew you ever eat. He had worked with Captain Atrus for many years and made it his business to look out for the Captain.

March Gale

PART II

Gittin back to the story,

Old Captain John and the Lorena M. Had left the oyster rock a good half hour or so before us. He was intent on getting in first so we would have to wait for him to off load. This would mean an extra few hours before we could finish up for the night. It would be well past dark before we finally make it home.

 Captain John cracked on all the sail that old hulk could take. The Lorena M. was heeled over and goin a pretty good clip through the water.

Captain Atrus, not ever known to get upset or raise his voice, I think had finally had enough of the taunts from Captain John. I knew that look though, first the eyebrows go up and then he gets this intense glint in his eye. When you see that, you better look out. He fixin to make something happen.

 We hit a right good patch of oysters, so we had a pretty good jag on deck, despite that old pirate being in the way all day.

Captain Atrus gave the order to stow all our gear so we could head for the dock. The wind had been steady out of the souwest all day about 20 knots or so. Just the kind of breeze the March Gale liked best. He had us shake the reefs out of the main and the jib and let me tell you the old girl took off like a cut cat!

Twasn’t long and we was gaining on the Lorene M. We all knew we’d pass them way before we got to the narrows. Old Captain John was trying to bear up to windward to thwart us passing. He was too slow, by this time Captain Atrus had got the wind on him.

 As we passed the Lorene M’s sails went slack for a moment when our sails stole her wind, the March Gail flew past her with a bone in her mouth! Them fellas should have known better than to try a race with us!

We looked back behind us again to see the Lorena M’s sails all aback and all the guys scrambling around on deck. Captain Atrus had us ease off the sheets as he hauled off the wind. “Boys we better tack back around and see if them fellers is ok” Said Captain Atrus as he watched the other boat.

We got around on the other tack and soon hove up alongside the Lorain M. Captain John hollered across that his mast had split at the deck and some planks had opened up, they were taking on water pretty fast. She was already sitting low in the water and rolling sluggishly. We all knew it wouldn’t be long before she was gone.

Turns out we had gasoline powered “jigger pump” aboard. We kept it aboard for just such emergencies as this, we used it frequently just to wash our decks down real good too.

We handed the pump over to them boys on the Lorene M. and got her going. It didn’t take long, and we could see that the extra pump was helping. The water level in the bilge was starting to drop.

We helped them douse the sails and drop their yawl boat in the water. The yawl boat had a powerful engine that could shove the Lorene M along at a fair clip. They could use their engine to push the stricken vessel into port.

Capt. Atrus, had us trim the sails so we could keep pace with the Lorene M. They seemed to be doing OK now but it seemed a good idea not to leave them behind.

And Old Man John? It seems he found Jesus that day. He profusely thanked Atrus for all his help, for the pump, and for watching out for them. Most notably he didn’t use even one curse word, at least within ear shot of Captain Atrus!

His crew, well they were as unrepentant as ever, cursing about having to work half the night. There will be no cold beer and no going to the bar tonight. They would have to unload they oysters, move the boat over to Henry’s boat yard and get her up on the railway.

Tomorrow they would have to work on the boat all day to get her patched up enough to go back to work. Work all day for no pay. Old man John seldom paid them for work on the boat. He said if they wanted to make money, they damn well had to keep the boat up so she could work.

The crew said he was a ornery old skinflint, but at least he wouldn’t get too mad if they laid out a day because they got drunk last night. Somehow, they all made enough money to get by on.

As we watched all this from the deck of the March Gale, we all decided to work just a little harder for Captain Atrus. All in all, we decided, we it got pretty good aboard here.