Read Online Fallen Palm (Jesse McDermitt Series) by Wayne Stinnett - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Wayne Stinnett
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crafts. I could see by their expressions that they were impressed with the Revenge. Tony said with a huge grin, “This is some boat, man! I thought for sure this’d be a pounder.”
“Pounder?” I asked.
“Most of the boats we ride in,” Art replied, “ride like a Sherman tank. This is like riding in a Bentley.” As if on cue, a large wave hit the starboard bow, as I started the turn around Sister Rock island. All it did, was nudge the bow slightly to port and we rolled gently into the trough, coming back on course.
“Now that’s what I’m talking about!” Tony yelled.
As we rounded Sister Rock, I brought the Revenge around to the left and started the run toward the channel leading to Rusty’s canal. It was marked with only two markers. The first one, a green marker, was in about twenty feet of water on the port side of the channel. The other one, a red one, was in only five feet of water on the starboard side, nearly on shore. I lined the Revenge up with the canal between the two markers and nudged the throttles a bit more to 1400 rpm, as the swells were rolling behind us now. I didn’t want to wallow in the trough, nor be passed up by the fast moving swells. We were now running a lot faster than I usually like to go through a channel, making nearly thirty knots. We flew past the first marker and a few seconds later we were less than a hundred yards from the mouth of the canal. The swells were smaller now and moving slower, so I slowly dropped the engines down to 1200 rpm and the stern rose as we slowed. Passing the last marker, there was only a slight chop, so I dropped the throttles down to idle speed and we nosed into the canal just as the Revenge came down off plane and became a displacement hull again.
“You’d have made a half decent Sailor there, Jarhead,” Deuce said. Interservice rivalry was common, especially between Marines and Sailors.
“Sorry, Squid, I only have two arms,” I replied laughing. But coming from a man like Deuce, I took it as a great compliment.
As we idled down the long canal Jimmy, Art, and Tony went down to the cockpit. “Jimmy, go on up to the bow and I’ll put you off on the port side as I turn her around. I can see Rusty and Rufus ahead on the starboard shore. They’ll handle the port lines once I spin her around and you can handle the starboard ones.” Jimmy scrambled along the rail on the port side and made his way across the large foredeck to the pulpit, where he unhooked the cable across the front of the pulpit and stood ready.
When we reached the center of the turning basin, I reversed the port engine and nudged it’s throttle just above idle and spun the wheel to the left. The Revenge started turning sideways, while still drifting toward the barge at the end of the canal. Then I shifted the port engine back to forward and goosed the starboard throttle. The Revenge surged slightly forward, then I brought the throttles to reverse idle. She stopped just a couple of feet from the western dock and started backing, just as Jimmy took a long stride and stepped onto the western dock, with the starboard bow line in his hand. I swung the wheel all the way to starboard and goosed the port engine throttle a bit, then brought them both to forward while swinging the wheel back to port. The Revenge continued it’s spin to the left and Jimmy tied off the bow line to the first bollard as she came to a dead stop. Tony and Art threw lines to Rusty and Rufus, waiting on the eastern dock, who made them fast on the furthest two bollards. I brought both engines to neutral and idled them for a minute before shutting down. We were tied up at a forty five degree angle to the canal, with the stern only a few feet from the barge.
“I take that back, Captain.” Deuce said. “You’d have made a damn fine Sailor.”
“Thanks, Deuce,” I replied. Tony and Art were already throwing off more lines to the three men on shore and within minutes they had six heavy lines tied fore and
“Pounder?” I asked.
“Most of the boats we ride in,” Art replied, “ride like a Sherman tank. This is like riding in a Bentley.” As if on cue, a large wave hit the starboard bow, as I started the turn around Sister Rock island. All it did, was nudge the bow slightly to port and we rolled gently into the trough, coming back on course.
“Now that’s what I’m talking about!” Tony yelled.
As we rounded Sister Rock, I brought the Revenge around to the left and started the run toward the channel leading to Rusty’s canal. It was marked with only two markers. The first one, a green marker, was in about twenty feet of water on the port side of the channel. The other one, a red one, was in only five feet of water on the starboard side, nearly on shore. I lined the Revenge up with the canal between the two markers and nudged the throttles a bit more to 1400 rpm, as the swells were rolling behind us now. I didn’t want to wallow in the trough, nor be passed up by the fast moving swells. We were now running a lot faster than I usually like to go through a channel, making nearly thirty knots. We flew past the first marker and a few seconds later we were less than a hundred yards from the mouth of the canal. The swells were smaller now and moving slower, so I slowly dropped the engines down to 1200 rpm and the stern rose as we slowed. Passing the last marker, there was only a slight chop, so I dropped the throttles down to idle speed and we nosed into the canal just as the Revenge came down off plane and became a displacement hull again.
“You’d have made a half decent Sailor there, Jarhead,” Deuce said. Interservice rivalry was common, especially between Marines and Sailors.
“Sorry, Squid, I only have two arms,” I replied laughing. But coming from a man like Deuce, I took it as a great compliment.
As we idled down the long canal Jimmy, Art, and Tony went down to the cockpit. “Jimmy, go on up to the bow and I’ll put you off on the port side as I turn her around. I can see Rusty and Rufus ahead on the starboard shore. They’ll handle the port lines once I spin her around and you can handle the starboard ones.” Jimmy scrambled along the rail on the port side and made his way across the large foredeck to the pulpit, where he unhooked the cable across the front of the pulpit and stood ready.
When we reached the center of the turning basin, I reversed the port engine and nudged it’s throttle just above idle and spun the wheel to the left. The Revenge started turning sideways, while still drifting toward the barge at the end of the canal. Then I shifted the port engine back to forward and goosed the starboard throttle. The Revenge surged slightly forward, then I brought the throttles to reverse idle. She stopped just a couple of feet from the western dock and started backing, just as Jimmy took a long stride and stepped onto the western dock, with the starboard bow line in his hand. I swung the wheel all the way to starboard and goosed the port engine throttle a bit, then brought them both to forward while swinging the wheel back to port. The Revenge continued it’s spin to the left and Jimmy tied off the bow line to the first bollard as she came to a dead stop. Tony and Art threw lines to Rusty and Rufus, waiting on the eastern dock, who made them fast on the furthest two bollards. I brought both engines to neutral and idled them for a minute before shutting down. We were tied up at a forty five degree angle to the canal, with the stern only a few feet from the barge.
“I take that back, Captain.” Deuce said. “You’d have made a damn fine Sailor.”
“Thanks, Deuce,” I replied. Tony and Art were already throwing off more lines to the three men on shore and within minutes they had six heavy lines tied fore and
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