Read Online Landfall: Islands in the Aftermath (The Pulse Series Book 4) by Scott B. Williams - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Scott B. Williams
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all that deck space. Why not build a big main cabin over it? Think of all the room you’d have! If the beams were glassed in, the deck cabin could open into the hulls. Most catamarans I’ve seen are like that. Every been aboard a Gemini?”
Larry did his best to ignore Russell’s questions and comments. He’d heard them all before when he was building the big Wharram cat on Culebra. Most people didn’t get it, but he didn’t care about that. He had his reasons for liking the design and the last thing he had time for was discussing the intricacies of multihull parameters with a typical boatyard know-it-all.
“If the hulls were round-bottomed, it’d be a lot easier to haul her out. She would draw less with centerboards that could be lifted than with those deep Vs. It’s going to be hard to get her up on the sand, the way they’re going to dig in. That’s why they got damaged on the reef in the first place.”
“We’ll get her out, don’t you worry,” Larry said.
“Yeah, and I’m going to help you do it. I’m just sayin’. Could be a lot easier with a few small changes. That’s just the way I would have done it. And it’s what I’ll do when I build my boat.”
“Sounds like you’ve got it figured out then,” Larry said.
“Yeah, man. I’ve been around boats all my life. I’ve seen all kinds come and go. Got a feel for what works and what doesn’t. That’s what I’ve been doing; studying them and keeping the best ideas I’ve seen in my head. I didn’t want to compromise with my own boat, so I’ve been biding my time until I’m ready. When I build one, it’s going to be the best! Then, I’ll circumnavigate on her. That’s always been the plan.”
“Is that so?” Larry asked. Russell’s spouting off was going in one ear and out the other. Larry didn’t care what his plans had been or what he thought of the Casey Nicole or anything else for that matter. But as long as he stayed out of the way and maybe provided a bit of extra muscle when they began winching her out, he could tolerate his presence to a degree.
“Looks like we’re about ready, little brother,” Artie said, checking the taut anchor lines that were in place.
“Yep. When the tide peaks, in less than a half hour, we’ll start cranking the big winch and see if we can make this happen. If you and Grant don’t mind, you two can help me with that. We can spell each other when we get tired. I’m still working with one arm, you know, Doc.”
“Yes, I do know. And if you’d listened to your doctor and kept it in a sling to give it more time to heal, you’d be farther along the way to recovery than you are now!”
“Probably. Kinda hard to do though, you know, the way things have been… gunfights… storms at sea… getting beaten up by an angry mom….”
“Dude, somebody nearly cut your arm off!” Russell said, noticing the long scar where Artie had sewn up the gaping machete wound that had indeed cut nearly halfway through his arm just below the elbow.
“Nah, it’s just a scratch.”
“Right…. Hey, I can work a winch handle. But I’m still so weak from the last two days of being sick. And not having enough to eat for a month.”
“Don’t worry about it. We’ve got enough muscle between the three of us to do the grinding. You can help the girls with the fenders as she comes out. It’ll probably take two people on either side of each hull to hold them in place until they get some weight on them. It’s going to be slow, but slow is better than nothing.”
Larry looked at the gentle waves lapping at the rocks and decided it was time to get started if they were going to make this work.
“Okay, if everybody’s ready, let’s do this.”
Grant was already in the cockpit, standing behind the centrally mounted winch that served as the anchor windlass when it wasn’t needed for the sheets. Larry gave him the go ahead to start cranking even as he and his brother were still climbing
Larry did his best to ignore Russell’s questions and comments. He’d heard them all before when he was building the big Wharram cat on Culebra. Most people didn’t get it, but he didn’t care about that. He had his reasons for liking the design and the last thing he had time for was discussing the intricacies of multihull parameters with a typical boatyard know-it-all.
“If the hulls were round-bottomed, it’d be a lot easier to haul her out. She would draw less with centerboards that could be lifted than with those deep Vs. It’s going to be hard to get her up on the sand, the way they’re going to dig in. That’s why they got damaged on the reef in the first place.”
“We’ll get her out, don’t you worry,” Larry said.
“Yeah, and I’m going to help you do it. I’m just sayin’. Could be a lot easier with a few small changes. That’s just the way I would have done it. And it’s what I’ll do when I build my boat.”
“Sounds like you’ve got it figured out then,” Larry said.
“Yeah, man. I’ve been around boats all my life. I’ve seen all kinds come and go. Got a feel for what works and what doesn’t. That’s what I’ve been doing; studying them and keeping the best ideas I’ve seen in my head. I didn’t want to compromise with my own boat, so I’ve been biding my time until I’m ready. When I build one, it’s going to be the best! Then, I’ll circumnavigate on her. That’s always been the plan.”
“Is that so?” Larry asked. Russell’s spouting off was going in one ear and out the other. Larry didn’t care what his plans had been or what he thought of the Casey Nicole or anything else for that matter. But as long as he stayed out of the way and maybe provided a bit of extra muscle when they began winching her out, he could tolerate his presence to a degree.
“Looks like we’re about ready, little brother,” Artie said, checking the taut anchor lines that were in place.
“Yep. When the tide peaks, in less than a half hour, we’ll start cranking the big winch and see if we can make this happen. If you and Grant don’t mind, you two can help me with that. We can spell each other when we get tired. I’m still working with one arm, you know, Doc.”
“Yes, I do know. And if you’d listened to your doctor and kept it in a sling to give it more time to heal, you’d be farther along the way to recovery than you are now!”
“Probably. Kinda hard to do though, you know, the way things have been… gunfights… storms at sea… getting beaten up by an angry mom….”
“Dude, somebody nearly cut your arm off!” Russell said, noticing the long scar where Artie had sewn up the gaping machete wound that had indeed cut nearly halfway through his arm just below the elbow.
“Nah, it’s just a scratch.”
“Right…. Hey, I can work a winch handle. But I’m still so weak from the last two days of being sick. And not having enough to eat for a month.”
“Don’t worry about it. We’ve got enough muscle between the three of us to do the grinding. You can help the girls with the fenders as she comes out. It’ll probably take two people on either side of each hull to hold them in place until they get some weight on them. It’s going to be slow, but slow is better than nothing.”
Larry looked at the gentle waves lapping at the rocks and decided it was time to get started if they were going to make this work.
“Okay, if everybody’s ready, let’s do this.”
Grant was already in the cockpit, standing behind the centrally mounted winch that served as the anchor windlass when it wasn’t needed for the sheets. Larry gave him the go ahead to start cranking even as he and his brother were still climbing
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