the Scuffy - 31. Chapter 31

It took four hours to arrive at the spot I had chosen. “Kev, how do you know which spot we should go to? You always pick a spot which turns out good for fishing.”

“Simple, Nicky, look at the chart. We fished these water and if you connect the coordinates, you get a curve. These are the coordinates that Jim is fishing now. Now look at where we have been and apply the curve.”

I watched as he did that, looking at me he smiled, “We’ll go here next week.”

“Right”

“Why are we getting big loads and why don’t the other boats fish here?”

“There are two reasons, one, they don’t have the crew to handle the loads we do As long as they bring in enough to cover costs plus a little extra they are happy. The other reason is the important one, they are afraid of going out further in the sea. You noticed that the waves out here are higher than back in this region, also storms have a bigger effect the further you’re from shore.”

“Jim doesn’t mind?”

“Jim has a good crew and he pays them well to take the risk. But Jim will never follow us out here.”

“We are here”

“Good, Charles, teach Andy how to drop the anchor.” I heard the squeal as the chain let the anchor drop.

“Glen, let’s get the port net in.”

Turned out Glen didn’t help, Jamie came to help. Glen then took Scott and dropped the starboard net.

“Andy, I want you and Johnny to help pulling the nets tomorrow morning. Let’s have dinner.”

“Is there any baked beans?” “NO”

Dinner over and the clean up done, “Better hit the sack guys, you know what happens at four am.” Andy didn’t know, but I’m sure one of the boys will tell him.

“Dad, I have to use the head.”

“You sound like a sailor Peter, come on I’ll help you.”

I didn’t know if Peter really needed the head or was just saying that. But he did need the head, “Oh Peter, what did you eat. That really stinks”

Peter started to giggle. Cleaned up, flushed and ready for bed.

“When the fish smell that, they are going to jump in the net.”

He punched me in the arm. I looked at him, Peter was growing up fast and being with the older boys he was picking up their actions.

When the horn went off, I imagined what Andy’s reaction would be. He ran out of the cabin and collide with Glen and I heading to the stern to bless the ocean. I grabbed him, “It’s okay, we’re going to bless the ocean follow me.”

Everyone was up and heading for the stern. I think Andy was a little surprised as we all added our water to the ocean, even Peter.

“Ok, guys we need to haul in the nets before breakfast. Charles take Andy and bring up the extra tins.”

I took Jamie and began to haul in the port net. It looked full but the winch didn’t squeal. As soon as the fish were brought aboard, Glen had the boys pushing fish into the hold. I was surprised at how many fish we had. The net didn’t seem that full. Glen and Scott brought the starboard net in. It was just as full as the port net, no tuna. Nets back in the water, we had breakfast. Glen was getting a variety of breakfast items.

“Okay guys, we have a break till two when we’ll pull the nets again.”

I looked around for the boys and thought they were on the stern. They weren’t, “Glen where did the boys go?”

“I saw them heading to the cabins.”

At two, the nets were ready to be pulled again. I blew the whistle, the boys came running up on the deck. “Time to pull the nets. Johnny, you help me with the port net, Andy, you help Glen with the starboard net.”

I figured it was about time for them to learn. Scott was getting good at this, but I needed all the boys trained.

The nets were a little heavier as the winch groaned a little. When the net cleared I saw why, we had half a net of tuna. “Let’s get the empty nets back in the water, it appears we are in the midst of a tuna run.”

The boys worked hard, before they had all of the fish in the hold Glen was bringing up the starboard net, it was just as full. As the boys were pushing the fish toward the hold, Nicky and I were putting tuna in the tins. We had fifteen tins of tuna which left fifteen tins empty. The hold was more than half full. Uncle came out check.

“Kev, what do you think?”

“I think we’ll go back Sunday around noon. I’ll pull the nets at four as usual and then at twelve. We should be full. How’s Jim doing?”

“I just talked to him, he said he’s almost full and figures tomorrow he’ll be full. He caught a few tuna, but he doesn’t have tins so they take up space in his hold. I think you have made a friend.”

“He doesn’t know he’s fishing where we fished a few weeks ago. He’s following our old fishing chart.”

Sunday at twelve I did pull the nets, told Nicky to fire up we were heading home. I had full holds, the tins were full as well as all of the chests I had on board. We had to go in with our nets down. I checked the fuel, we had enough to get in, but will need to refill before going out next week.

Nicky blew the whistle when we were an hour out and as usual we pulled the starboard net as we approached the dock. When the boat was docked, anchor down, stern and bow lines tied, the boys started to take the tins off the boat. Nicky and Charles got their pad to check weights. Once all the tuna was off, Glen left to get clean and bring the truck back for the chests.The cannery crew came on board with empty tins and pitched in carrying the full tins off the boat. I took four fish and quickly cleaned them, wrapping them in newspaper gave them to the cannery crew who was helping. When all of the fish was off the boat who shows up, Glen in the truck. The boys got on him about delaying so that we had to do all of the work. He did help load the chests on the truck. “Andy, take this chest to your aunt,” he looked at me, I nodded.

I finished closing up the boat. I had to find out who was sabotaging my boat. We walked home, with Peter on my shoulders. I dropped off the receipts at the bank and then headed home with Peter on my shoulders. Peter said I was his horse, so we trotted home. I love his laugh, the innocent laugh of a child is the purest sound anyone could hear.

Now cleaning up was routine and the boys helped. It didn’t take long for everyone to be in uniform, sweats, clean T’s and flip flops. Locking up I noticed Nicky was driving the truck. I wonder if I shouldn’t take the car. Looking at the boys in the truck rear seat, “Glen, I think I’m going to take the car as well.”

Scott and Andy got in the car, leaving Charles, Johnny and Peter in the truck. “I guess Jamie doesn’t want to drive the car.” Before I shut the truck door, guess who was behind the steering wheel in the car. Scott and Andy in the back seat, I sat in front with Jamie.

We must have looked like a caravan as we pulled up at Grams. I find it interesting how life flows in patterns, a couple of months ago, Gram and the boys had to go to the dock for their fish, now it is delivered by her grandsons, I know my own life has been enriched ever since that weekend on the boat with Glen, Ron and Lou. Maybe I was too hard on Lou, without his actions concerning Glen, I wouldn’t have become involved in saving him from Lou. Funny how things work out.

On the way home again we had all of the boys overnight. I ordered pizza and then I went to bed. I was concerned about the boat.