At Sea - 24. AS Chapter 24

Everyone but Brodie laughed at this, who backed off, so he was further away from me. “Don’t worry cousin, I’m not going to kill or injure you, I am not sure what it will be, but you will know when it happens” I said with a wicked grin. “Well I guess we will head off tomorrow, bound for the Abrolhos Island and Cervantes, so I guess we will see you down the coast somewhere” Jay announced.

“Ok, we will stay one more day, then head to Geraldton, so we can make the changes” I replied, and a few minutes later, Jay, Jacq and Mum left the old Trident, and returned to their ship. The next morning, I was up early and I watched from the main deck, and Jay and Jacq and their crew prepared to leave, I waved to them as they left, but received no response back, as I headed back indoors to get some breakfast.

After we had locked up the boat, the three of us met the tour operators, to go on a four-hour tour of the Kalbarri National Park, and lunch in town, which was an enjoyable morning for all of us. After lunch, Amanda insisted that we do some shopping, unless we wanted to starve for the next few days, and so we headed to the supermarket, returning to the boat an hour later with two trollies’ full of food and other supplies.

We spent the rest of the day just relaxing, once we had finished putting all the shopping away, and since there was just the three of us to worry about instead of a whole ship of crew, I was able to relax a lot more, which was a nice change.

The next morning, I was up at dawn and we set off at 0600 hours, for the 6 ½ hour journey south to Geraldton, where I had already arranged for the local ship maintenance company to get straight onto work to make the required changes to the boat.

Apart from installing a lift of some kind for Brodie, I had also decided to put the two freezers to good use, since the boat is no longer a fishing boat, with the freezer next to the crew lounge to be opened up to make the crew lounge into a larger crew recreation room, and the other freezer will become a study and library, and the large office is to be made into a second cabin.

The maintenance company was at the fishing harbour, when we arrived shortly after 1300 hours, and once we were moored, I gave them a tour of the boat and gave them the instructions on what I wanted done. Once they had seen everything, they informed me that it would take two weeks to complete the work, which I said was fine, and I gave them a $5000 deposit to get started.

While Amanda remained onboard, I took Brodie to have a look at the HMAS Sydney Memorial, and to have a look around the city, and we returned to the boat just after 1700 hours, to find the contractors had already left, and Amanda was busy in the galley preparing dinner.

On the main deck, Brodie and I checked out what had been done so far, with the work area been cleared away, and carpets had been laid on the ground, and the walls had been painted a very pale blue colour. What will be my cabin, also has been repainted, and carpets have been laid, with the wall for the ensuite bathroom installed, and some of the plumbing completed.

Brodie asked me to gently carry him down stairs, and once I had him settled in the dining mess, so he could chat to Amanda, I went to see if any work had been done on the lower level, and all I found was that the wall had been cut away between the freezer and the crew lounge.

Back at the dining mess, Amanda and Brodie were happily chatting, and the smell of a delicious dinner was filling the area, as I sat down next to Brodie’s chair. When we heard a loud airhorn, I wondered if it was the Trident 2, as I headed up to the main deck to check, and I smiled as Jacq and Jay cruised up beside us, and moored next door to us.

“Hello, how was the Abrolhos Islands?” I asked when Jay and Jacq appeared, “It was wonderful, it’s so nice to find a place where you can just relax and enjoy the beautiful natural surrounds” Jacq replied just as mum appeared. “Hi Mum” I said cheerfully, “Hello son, how is the planning going for your changes?” Mum replied, “Good, thou work started soon after we arrived at lunch time today, while I took Brodie for a look around the city” I replied.

“Carlton, we need to have a family conference, can you get Brodie and Amanda and join us over here please” Uncle Jay asked me, and I looked at my uncle for a moment, “Ok, I will be back shortly, as Brodie is on the lower deck” I replied as I headed back inside, to get Brodie and Amanda, and a few minutes later with Brodie back in his chair on the main deck, we headed over to the Trident 2.

We found my uncle, aunt and mum in the formal lounge, with the rest of the crew remaining forward out of the way, in the galley area. “I have called you all over to let you know of a decision that the three of us have made. During the past two days, since leaving Kalbarri, we have had a lot of enquiries about charters, since Carlton posted those photos and story of the Prince’s being onboard.

We have decided to stay based here in Western Australia, and we would like to include you and the Trident 3 on our website, so we can work together, for the benefit of both vessels” Uncle Jay said to us, “Yes, I can see that could be a big benefit to us, I agree with your suggestion, Dad” Brodie replied. “Where do you suggest we be based Uncle?” I asked.

“That is why we are here, to plan our future here in Western Australia” Aunty Jacq said to us, “Ok, well I think if we are going to be based here in the west, we need to be at a place where we can get supplies reasonably easy, so I recommend no further north than Carnarvon, even though Exmouth is a fairly large town, getting supplies there takes time due to its distance from the city” I said.

“I think we should be north of Fremantle, maybe somewhere near Geraldton, that way we are closer to the Abrolhos Islands, Shark Bay and Ningaloo” Brodie added. “Well we have visited Kalbarri, and Geraldton, may I suggest that while you are getting the changes made to the boat, that Trident 2, make some visits, to check out a few other locations” Mum said.

“I agree with that suggestion, so in the morning we will head further south, and stop at Port Denison, Jurien Bay, Cervantes and Lancelin” Jay said with a smile. After a few minutes more of chatting, Amanda said she had to get back to her galley, as she had dinner in the oven, and Brodie and I followed her soon after she had left.

Once we were back down on the lower level, So, what do you think of this idea of your parents and my mum?” I asked my cousin. “I think that it will be beneficial for us, to help get our new business started” Brodie replied and I smiled as I nodded my head in agreement. After dinner, we watched a movie in the main lounge, before retiring for the night.

The next morning at breakfast, I suggested that Amanda take the day off, so she had some time to herself for a change, and she said that she would prefer that someone be with her, so I suggested that she take Brodie with her, and I would remain onboard, while the contractors are working.

Just before lunch time, I was sitting on the bridge, when my phone rang, and the caller ID said it was Mum, “Hi mum, what is happening?” I said when I answered the call, “Hello son, you are on loud speaker with Jay and Jacq, we are in Port Denison, arrived a couple of hours ago, and we think that is probably the best place for our base, the jetty has great facilities, and it is close to the main highway for easy deliveries, there is also some vacant land very close to the jetty, for easy access” Mum said to me.

“Carlton, I will send you some photos of the boat harbour, and of the land opposite, and we will wait for yours and Brodies views” Jay added, “Ok no problems, Amanda and Brodie are in town looking around at the moment, I will show them the photos at dinner time when the contractors have gone” I replied and soon after we ended the call, and I headed downstairs to see how the work was going.

I was pleased to see that my new cabin was completed including built in wardrobes and the bathroom, so it was ready for furnishing, and when I saw the Cinema lounge, it too was finished and looked great, and is also ready for furnishing. I headed downstairs to the lower deck, where I found the contractors sitting down in the dining mess eating their lunch, which I was not very happy about.

“In future, I want you to have your meal breaks outside on the main deck or off the boat, at no time did I say you were permitted to use the boats facilities, with the exception of the day bathroom on the main deck” I said in an annoyed tone, “very well sir, we do apologise” one of the men said as they gathered their lunch and headed to the main deck.

Once they had gone, I checked in on what they were doing on the lower deck, and I saw that the freezer and crew lounge are now fully one big room, and that they were in the process of painting the walls, and a doorway had been created for the other freezer, that will become the library and study. As I was in the galley making myself some lunch, one of the men returned, holding a large map tube, which he placed on the dining table.

“Sir, I have been studying these layout plans of the boat, and I feel that the current access hatches between the three decks are too small to provide some sort of easy disability access, what I would like to suggest is that we create new access hatches, in the Navigation office on the Bridge deck, in the store room on the main deck and the corner of the dining mess on this deck, as the three spaces are all aligned.

I have done some research, and we can install a hydraulic elevator system, where the access hatches will automatically open when the elevator is operating, and we can have a safety barrier around each one of them, so no one will fall down them.

This way you still have the access hatches with the ladders still, in case the hydraulics fail, which they shouldn’t, and there is a company in Perth that provides, installs and maintains small space elevators” the man said.

Very well, have a senior representative, come up to Geraldton, to show me what systems they have, and we can also show him the area we propose to put it on the boat” I replied, and the contractor nodded his head and headed out, as he pulled out his phone to make the call.

Just as the contractor left, my phone beeped, and I saw an incoming video clip from Mum, so I opened it, and it was a one-minute clip of the boat harbour at Port Denison, plus across the road was a vacant block of land, which was directly opposite, and I smiled. After seeing it, I sent a quick message back, “Looks good, I will show it to Brodie and Amanda when they return and get back to you, Carlton”, and pressed send.

At dinner time, once we had eaten our takeaway food, that Amanda had brought back for us, I informed Brodie and Amanda about the phone call and the video clip that I had received, and we discussed it a bit before Brodie called his parents, putting the call on loud speaker. “Trident 2 to Trident 3, you are on loud speaker” Brodie said pretending that he was on the two-way radio, “Hi, same here, we are on loud speaker too” Jay replied.

Over the next fifteen minutes we had a lively conversation about having our base at Port Denison, and we agreed that Jay, Jacq and mum should go ahead with buying the land across from the jetty if it is available, and start planning for onshore accommodation for the family and crew.

“We have been thinking and talking about that a lot today, and we have decided on having ground level – 3 two-bedroom units for family and on two levels - 2 two-bedroom units for the four crew. We thought maybe Brodie and Carlton can share a unit, Amanda and I can share a unit, and Jay and Jacq will have a unit.

We will have room for two double carports on one side between units, and on the opposite side, we thought we would make it a social area, with spa pool, lawn, gazebo and BBQ” Mum announced. “That sounds good to me Aunt Elizabeth” Brodie replied, “and fine with me too” Amanda added.

The next morning after breakfast, Brodie settled in the main lounge with a few books, and the remote for the big screen television, while Amanda and I went shopping for furniture, for my new bedroom, the cinema lounge, and the library study. It was while we were shopping that plans changed, and we decided to make the Cinema lounge into a multipurpose room, so we bought a couple lounge suites, some fold up tables, chairs, and some large white boards, to hand on one of the walls.

It was also decided that Amanda should go back to sharing a cabin with me, so as to make the second double cabin free for guests, so we bought a king size bed, and bedside tables, for our cabin, plus a fold up table tennis table for the recreation lounge. For the study and Library, we bought three large full height bookshelves, and a large study desk and chair, plus a laminated map of the West coast of Western Australia for the wall above the desk.

We had arranged for everything to be delivered the following morning, so we could make sure that the areas are ready to receive the furniture, and we returned to the boat just before lunch time, with some hamburgers for the three of us to eat. Brodie said that he was glad that we were back as he was bored out of his mind, with no one to talk to, as the contractors were too busy to talk to a cripple, which I didn’t like the sound off,

“Who said that?” I asked my cousin in a concerned tone as we sat down to eat, “I am not sure who, just one of the contractors, from down the hall, I don’t think he was aware that I could hear them chatting, while they were working” Brodie said to us. After lunch, after taking Brodie upstairs to the main deck, I went to see what work had been done during the morning.

I was pleased to see that the Library & study was completed, with fresh paint and heavy-duty carpets, and that work was nearly completed on the recreation lounge, which meant there was just the elevator remaining to be done. Just as I was about to exit the new area, the contractors arrived. “Sir, I have some news, the elevator people will be here at 12 noon tomorrow, to show you what they have available, I suggested that they come straight to the harbour” the lead contractor informed me.

“That is fine, thank-you for organising that, now tomorrow can you and your staff assist with moving some furniture that will be arriving at about 10am” I replied, “Yes sir, we are happy to assist with that” the lead contractor answered, “Good, we have furniture for the main deck 2^nd cabin, the cinema lounge is now going to be a multi-purpose room, so there is a couple of lounges, tables and chairs for there, a table tennis table for the recreation lounge downstairs, and a study desk and book shelves for the library” I replied.

The contractors left early in the afternoon, as they had completed everything that I had tasked them to do, apart from the elevator system, which we had to wait till tomorrow, to see what size holes we need to make to have it fitted in.

As they were leaving, I asked the lead contractor, if he could look into what would be required to install solid retractable doors over the forward open areas, port and starboard, where we use to sort and throw back into the water, crays that were too small or had eggs, so as to provide more weather protection from the two doorways and stairs to the bridge and lower decks, and the doorway to the forward main deck indoor areas.

That evening, while we were having dinner, we received a call from Jay, Jacq and mum, “Hello everyone, how are things going in Geraldton” Jacq said to us, soon after I switched the call to loud speaker, “Good, we are well ahead of schedule, so depending on how long it takes to install the elevator, we should be ready to leave in a few days, how are things down that way” I replied.

“We have secured the purchase of the land, and we had a meeting with an architect yesterday, but we won’t start work till you guys have seen the plans, and we have approval to base our business at Port Denison, with the local council very pleased that we chose there.

We also have two permanent boat bays, we have leased, for at least 5 years, to be reviewed after that time, and we have had a good look around the town, and we are very happy with what we see so far” Jay informed us. “That is great, we will let you know when we are ready to head down that way” Brodie replied.

After dinner we relaxed and watched a movie in the main lounge, before locking up and heading to bed for the night, making sure that Brodie had his hand held two-way, that he keeps in his cabin, while I am temporarily sleeping downstairs, till my new cabin is ready. I was woken in the night by the sound of the radio, with Brodie whispering loudly into the radio.

“Wake up Carlton, we have intruders, I can hear them trying to get into the forward section of this deck” I heard him say, and I jumped out of bed and threw on some jeans, before dashing out of the cabin, looking around, I spotted a tool box owned by one of the contractors, and I pulled out a large wrench, before heading up the stairs, and as quietly as possible I unlocked the main door at the top of the stairs, and swung it open and jumped out, raising my arm with the wrench above my head.

“Get off my boat you thieving bastards” I shouted at the three intruders, who I only saw their shadows due to the poor light, then suddenly the outside deck lights came on, and the intruders, who had started to approach me, suddenly dashed towards the side and jumped off and onto the jetty, running away as fast as they could.

Pulling the two-way out of my pocket, I pressed the button, “All clear thanks Brodie, I think we shall leave the deck lights on from now on” I said, and shortly after, I heard the door being unlocked and swing open, “Are you ok mate?” I asked Brodie, who looked a little shaken up, and he shook his head no. “Can I sleep downstairs with you guys please” Brodie asked me, “how about I grab a single mattress and sleep in my new cabin on the floor” I replied with a smile, “I would like that, thanks Cousin” Brodie replied.

I headed downstairs, where I found Amanda making a cup of tea, “do you or Brodie want one” she asked when I arrived, “No thanks, I’m just going to grab a single mattress, sheets, pillow and blanket, and head back upstairs, I will see you in the morning, can you lock the door once I am upstairs please” I replied, and Amanda smiled and nodded her head yes.

Once I had Brodie settled in bed again, I set up my temporary bed, and soon drifted off to sleep, but it was a very restless sleep for the last five hours of the night. I was woken by the sound of thumping on the door, and Amanda announcing she had breakfast ready, so I went and unlocked the door, where I found her holding a tray with two cooked breakfasts on it.

“You didn’t have to do this you know, I could have brought Brodie down to eat” I said to Amanda, as she entered the forward area, and headed to the multipurpose area, were she placed the tray on the ground, while I went to check on Brodie. “What I wasn’t expecting was to see Brodie, tossing around in his bed, sweating profusely, and looking very pale, “Amanda call 000, we need an Ambulance right away, top priority, Brodie is very ill” I shouted, as I headed to his bathroom, to get a wash cloth, which I dampened and placed on his forehead, to try and cool him down.

Fifteen minutes later, the Ambulance arrived at the hospital, with me travelling with him, and Amanda said she would remain behind to wait for the furniture, that was due to arrive this morning. While Brodie was rushed to emergency care, I gave the receptionist all of Brodie’s details, before I was told to wait in the waiting room for some news on his condition.

I headed outside and made a call to Jay and Jacq to let them know what has happened, and I suggested that they stay in Port Denison, until we know exactly what is wrong with him, and reluctantly they agreed, although I doubted that they would stay there for long. For 2 ½ long hours I waited for a report on how my cousin was, and finally a doctor came out to explain, that Brodie had knocked his leg on something sharp, and that it had got badly infected.

Brodie had been admitted into a ward and was sedated and receiving treatment for the infection, and that he would be in hospital for at least two weeks. I went up to his room on the second floor, where I found my cousin, so after staying with him for half an hour, I headed out of the hospital, and called Amanda, noticing that it was nearly 11am.

“Hi, Brodie has been admitted, he has an infection from a leg wound, do you remember his saying anything about hitting it on something sharp?” I said to Amanda when she answered the call.

“Shit, yes I do, but he said he was fine, and told me to stop fussing, I wish I had been more forceful to have checked that he was ok, I am sorry” Amanda said to me, “It is ok, he can be very stubborn sometimes, I better call Jay and let them know” I replied, “No need, they arrived here about fifteen minutes ago, they are waiting for you to update them” Amanda said and I laughed.

“I knew they wouldn’t be able to stay away, I am heading back to the harbour now, so I will see you shortly, oh, how did the furniture arrival go?” I replied, “All good, everything is in place, and our cabin looks wonderful” Amanda said sounding very happy, “Ok see you in a bit” I said and I ended the call. When I arrived back at the harbour in a taxi, I found the Trident 2 moored next door to the Trident 3, which received its new name transform yesterday.

“We are glad that Brodie is ok, did you get a chance to see him?” Jacq asked me, as I stepped onboard Trident 2, where the family was gathered, “Yes but he was sleeping, the doctors have him sedated and on treatment for the infection, and he will be in hospital for about two weeks” I responded, “that is good news” Jay added.

“We have had a look at all of the changes, and they look wonderful, and Amanda has briefed us on the plans for a new elevator system for all three decks for brodie, which is wonderful” Mum said to me, “well if I am going to get him to work, he has to get access to all decks” I said with a smile. Amanda informed me that the contractors had left after the furniture was all moved, and the lead contractor would be back at noon, when the elevator people from Perth arrive.

Julia arrived with soft drinks for everyone, which we happily accepted, and announced that lunch will be ready at 11.30am, so we have eaten before the contractor returns, which I thought was good thinking, so we all headed indoors, to the Trident 2 formal dining room. While we ate, Jay informed Amanda and me that he had postponed any charters, until the Trident 3 is in Port Denison, and that the first charter for us was our favourite two regular guests, plus two.

“Frederik and Mary and two guards, no children?” Amanda asked, “that is correct, and for that reason, they have chosen to select the smaller vessel, to give it a test run, even after I warned them that it isn’t as luxurious and smooth running as the Trident 2, but they said they are fine with that” Jacq replied.

“Interesting, I wonder why the children are not coming this time?” I stated, “Apparently the children have school to attend, and this may be the last time they travel as Crown Prince and Princess, as there is the possibility that the Queen may retire” Elizabeth replied.

“I see, well that will be more pressure on them I guess, I hope the transition goes smoothly for them” I responded, “I do too, they are such nice people” Amanda added. “For this Royal charter, I would like to borrow one of your stewards please Uncle Jay, Sam if that is ok with you” I asked, and Jay smiled, “Yes that is fine, since it is a special charter” Jay replied, and I heard a distant groan.

“Are you ears burning Sam?” I said loudly and Sam appeared, blushing a little, “Yes sorry, I was in the area when I heard you mention the Royal charter, and you requesting me, but it was a happy groan, I am pleased to serve on any vessel” Sam replied happily, and Amanda and I chuckled, “Just like old times eh Sam” Amanda said, and Sam smiled before refreshing our drinks and disappearing out of sight again.