Never walk alone- Walk on - 28. Chapter 28

'Lady Janice' finally got her full time crew on the Tuesday after she was launched. They had all been due back in time for the launch, but only arrived from Europe on Monday afternoon, their flight having turned into a marathon two day saga due to mechanical problems, which resulted in a return to Heathrow, and then being hit by a massive winter storm that turned England into a winter wonderland, but one where virtually all modes of transport ground to a halt. They finally managed to escape the nightmare that the storm had turned Heathrow into, with thousands of would be passengers unable to go anywhere except remain in the airport, on Sunday evening, some three hours after the blizzard had finally abated enough for the runway, taxiway and apron surfaces to be adequately cleared to allow safe flight operations.

Ryan had the courtesy bus from The Cameron collect them at the Cape Town International and take them directly to the lodge to get some decent rest. And on Tuesday morning after breakfast the bus once again ferried them to the Waterfront Marina where 'Lady Janice' now had her home, albeit only temporarily, and they were finally able to view her in her completed form. Ryan and Andrew were on hand when they arrived, drinking coffee and tea on board 'Belle Catherine' with Darren and Kerry, who were preparingto set sail on a week long cruise the next day.

There was a happy reunion with lots of hugs, kisses and handshakes following which they were invited for something to drink on 'Belle Catherine'. But Michael and his crew were drawn to 'Lady Janice', being unable to prevent their eyes from involuntarily glancing at her as she rode proudly behind 'Belle Catherine'. Ryan and Andrew took pity on them and decided to put them out of their misery.

"Okay guys, it's obvious you just want to get on board your new baby. Go ahead, she's all yours. We'll get the galley fired up and Darren and Kerry can have some coffee with you on 'Lady Janice' once you've all had look around"

Michael had to be very fleet footed to get to the boarding passerelle before his crew, but sanity prevailed and they allowed him to step on board first before following more sedately. It was an amazing thing to watch as Michael made a beeline for the Sky Deck and helm, Brian disappeared staight into the engineering spaces, Ray hurried to the galley,and Christine, Ashleigh and Gary headed into the guest areas. It took almost an hour, but eventually they all ended up in the saloon on the Main Deck where Andrew and Kerry were busy in the galley organising refreshments while Ryan chatted to Michael and Darren in the lounge area. Christine bounced into the room gushing,

"Oh my word, Andrew. She's beautiful. You've done an amazing job with the decor. Love, love love it! And the guests are going to love it too. Without a doubt!"

"Thanks Christine", Andrew replied, grinning. "It was a blast to do. But it's you guys who ultimately ensure the guests have a good time. Decor is only a very small part of that. It's the personal guest experience that counts most. And you guys can do that in your sleep. Of that I am absolutely confident".

"Well you've given us a fantastic base to work from", Ashleigh added. "She definitely feels more like a Devlin-Major boat than 'Amira' did. Not that 'Amira' was anything less than stunning. But she wasn't a true Devlin-Major. Which I can honestly say 'Lady Janice' absolutely is. The Andrew and Ryan touch is very evident"

"Yes. You're absolutely correct Ash. We wanted to give both 'Lady Janice' and 'Belle Catherine' a corporate identity. That no matter which yacht a client is on, they will know they are on a Devlin-Major vessel. If you look at 'Belle Catherine', not only has she got the same hull treatment, but her new interiors are almost identical as well, or will be in the near future. There are one ot two small differences, but nothing that major, in my opinion, that it would make any differ-ence. But the corporate identity is most certainly in place".

Brian and Ray joined them as well, both equally effusive about their respective domains. Brian's eyes literally sparkled as he enthused about the electric motors.

"I cannot wait to see them in action", he told them, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"We can tell you now, they are awesome", Ryan added from where he was sitting. "We had her out on Saturday, and we could not believe just how quiet she is. As Drew put it, it was like being under sail, just without all the associated noises that went with sailing. It was a bit of mind-fuck initially".

"I for one cannot wait to get out on her", Michael said, standing up and moving into the galley area. Ryan grinned at him.

"Well, you got her to yourselves until Friday. Then we have to get her ready for her first shakedown cruise starting the following Friday morning. It will be just Andrew and myself, the children, my parents and Rascal. Then the week after, Gabriel and Lucas will be on board for four days, followed by 3 days on 'Belle Catherine". We will be joining them on board 'Belle Catherine'. Then Dan and Joan Kinley arrive for a week long cruise. Again we will be joining them. so you're going to be seeing a helluva lot of our faces over the next few weeks". Michael nodded.

"Good, then we can really get to know how she operates before we get to Mauritius"

They enjoyed refreshments with the two crews before disembarking and going back to the office. Darren and Kerry also left to finish preparations for their charter. 'Lady Janice' glided almost silently out of her berth thirty minutes later on her first crew get-to-know-you trip, returning some four hours later. The crew all remained on board to get unpacked and settled into their new floating home.

During the week that followed, 'Lady Janice' was out on crew familiarisation cruises every day, after which Michael advised Ryan that he was very happy with the yacht and that the crew had made sure everything was in perfect working order. The family shakedown cruise, which followed a route up the West Coast, was a roaring success and allowed the crew to really shine. They insisted that Andrew and Ryan just sit back and relax while they showed their employers what they were capable of. Both men were very impressed by how they had adapted to the new work environment and how smoothly everything happened.

The week before Gabriel and Lucas arrived was spent giving 'Lady Janice' a good washdown to get rid of all the sea salt that had accumulated on her hull and superstructure, and giving all the chrome and brass a good polish , with the result the she gleamed in the bright morning sun when her VIP guests arrived to board for their four day cruise up the East Coast.

The two Belgians were treating themselves to the full Devlin-Major experience while in the country. They had arrived earlier in the week and had checked in at The Cameron for their first four days. That would be followed by the four days on board 'Lady Janice' and then transfer directly onto 'Belle Catherine' on their return to the marina for the three day cruise up the Southeastern coast to Hermanus and back with Andrew, Ryan and the children, including Rascal. On their return, they would stay at Blue Bay for three nights before flying to Durban and hiring a car to drive up to the Drakens-berg Resort for a week. Then they would drive back to Durban from where they would fly to Johannesburg to continue their tour of the country by taking in the Kruger National Park for a week of game viewing and then flying home.

Andrew was sitting on the patio outside his office when he saw them drive up to the portico at the main entrance. Ryan was at a meeting with Claude. He quickly strode down the passageway into the turret room and was on hand to greet them when they stepped into the lobby.

"Gabriel, Lucas! Welcome to Cape Town and to The Cameron.", he greeted them, shaking their hands. 'Did you have a good flight?"

"Andrew! How nice of you to welcome us in person!", Gabriel replied. "How are you?".
Andrew grinned at the tired looking redhead.

"Better than you two, I think! You both look a bit weary. But I'm sure 'The Cameron' wil soon remedy that. Let's get you checked in and up to you room so that you can relax and rest", Andrew replied, turning and indicating the way to the reception desk. "This way gentlemen. I've taken the liberty of upgrading you to an executive suite", he explained as they walked, aware that Gabriel and Lucas were appraising the lobby and decor. They were, after all, in the industry them-selves.

"This place is gorgeous, Andrew", Lucas told him with a smile. "The pictures on your website do not do it justice. It says it is a 'little piece of Scotland on the southern tip of Africa'. And it is, but only much more"
Andrew grinned back them.

"Thank you. We are very proud of our Scottish castle here in Cape Town", he replied as they reached the desk. Only minutes later, they were heading back to the elevators where Abel waited with their luggage.

"Well gentlemen, I will leave you here to get settled and get some rest", Andrew told them, shaking their hands again.

"We will chat again soon. Ryan and I want you to come to the house one night for a good South African braai. But I think it will only be once we are back from the cruise on 'Belle Catherine'. We are still in our peak pre-Christmas company year end frenzy, but by then things will have quietened down, so we will have more time. Enjoy your time with us".

He stood back and watched as they entered the elevator and then turned to go back to his office. He came to a sudden stop as he turned straight into a very solid body.

"Oh, I am so sorry sir....", he began as he looked up to see who he had collided with. "Oh, Ry! It's only you. You just missed Gabriel and Lucas". Ryan chuckled.

"Oh, it's only you! Thank you my love. You all but knocked me over". It was Andrew's turn to grin.

"Sorry babe. Wasn't looking where I was going. Fortunately it was you and not some old lady with a Zimmer frame". He giggled. "God, can you just imagine!".

"The picture boggles my mind, my love!", puting his arm around Andrew and heading back to the office.

Over the next four days they only saw Gabriel and Lucas a handful of times, usually at a distance, as either their guests were off on an excursion or Andrew and Ryan were about their business. They did, however, have a short chat on the afternoon before Gabriel and Lucas were due to board 'Lady Janice' when they stepped out onto the office patio just before teatime and the two Belgians were on the pool deck enjoying the afternoon sunshine. The conversation was very upbeat and cordial, focusing mainly on how they were enjoying their stay in Cape Town and the upcoming cruises.

And now, with them away on their first cruise, it was time to start thinking about the cruise on 'Belle Catherine'. Darren and Kerry had been given the three days off as Ryan as Andrew were going to be crewing their beloved yacht them-selves. Ryan had bemoaned the fact that they spent so little time on 'Belle Catherine', and that he really missed being at the helm and listening to the creaks that accompanied most sailing yachts and the sound of the wind in the rigging. So when the opportunity presented itself to host Gabriel and Lucas, and crew 'Belle Catherine', they grabbed it with both hands. The logistics that it raised was rather more complicated than usual, mainly due to them now having four child-ren instead of only two and how to accommodate them on 'Belle Catherine'. But after a thorough reacquaintance with the midships cabin, they decided that the cabin was big enough for all four to sleep there. Cameron would take one bed, while Elizabeth and Fiona were small enough to occupy the other bed. The extra child bunk on the storage area would be made up for Jamie to bed down. This ensured that with the interleading door open between the main cabin and the midships cabin, the children would all essentially be in the same room as their dads. Rascal would either have to share with Cameron, or his dads, or sleep on his own bed in the main cabin.
The trip would, weather permitting, entail a cruise to Hermanus and back and if all went according to plan, a day visit to the spa at the Caledon Casino Hotel & Spa.

On Tuesday morning early, the Devlin-Major clan were all on board 'Belle Catherine' and watched as 'Lady Janice' slid quietly into her berth behind them. They had arrived before dawn with four very sleepy children and one dauchund. All five had immediately gone back to sleep in the midships cabin, while Ryan had checked all the systems, even though Darren had already done that the previous day, and Andrew began breakfast preparation, aware that the very early arrival meant that Gabriel and Lucas would not have had a proper breakfast.

A flurry of activity followed once she was tied up to the pier as Gary, Christine and Ashleigh transferred luggage to 'Belle Catherine' . Andrew and Ryan watched as Gabriel and Lucas disembarked from 'Lady Janice', chatting briefly with Michael and the crew, handing each one an envelope and then turned towards 'Belle Catherine' where their hosts met them at the foot of the passerelle. They grinned as they noticed both were carrying deck shoes in their hands and had negotiated the short distance between the two boatsbarefoot.

"Good morning Gabriel. Morning Lucas. Welcome to 'Belle Catherine'" , they greeted them as they stepped onto the yachts welcome mat.

"Morning Ryan. Morning Andrew. Very nice to be here. We appreciate you guys taking the time to look after us. I know this is a busy time for you both, so the gesture is not lost on us", Gabriel said as Lucas nodded in agreement.

"And if our cruise is anything like the one we've just had, then we will be very happy indeed", he said as they all shook hands. They both held onto the passerelle stanchions as they slipped their deck shoes back on. Gabriel smiled at them as the straightened up and said,

"See, we know the drill already. Michael taught our captain on 'Amira' well. He also insists on deck shoes or slippers before boarding"
Ryan nodded.

"It is the only way to prevent the decking from getting marked, so I'm happy to hear you are still doing it on 'Amira'. But let's get you settled and get going, then we can chat"

Once on board and they were seated in the cockpit where the table was already set for breakfast , Andrew served mimosas and ran through the safety drill, while Ryan prepared to set sail.

"Do you want to go to your cabin now or wait until we are at sea", Andrew asked them.

"We'll stay here until we are out of the harbour", Lucas replied. Gabriel nodded in agreement.

"Yes, we'll stay here. As you know, our experience is all in motor yachts, so being able to observe a sailing yacht in action is something new".

"Okay, great!, Andrew replied. "Can I get you some coffee or tea? Or would you prefer to stay on the mimosas? We'll have breakfast as soon as we clear the breakwater"

They opted for coffee which Andrew served a few minutes later, handing Ryan a mug as well. There was also a plate of rucks for them to nibble on.

Ryan eased them smoothly away from the berth shortly after and spun 'Belle Catherine' around using the bow thrusters to point them towards the bascule bridge and the canal into to harbour, impressing the two observers.
Rascal came bounding up the stairs from the starboard hull, tail wagging madly as the scampered around Andrew, who barely had time to scratch his ears before he was dancing around Ryan who got only slightly more scratch time before he went to greet the two strangers, who picked him up and fussed over him, much to his delight. His tail whipped back and forth and his little body wriggled as he enjoyed the attention. He was followed shortly after by four very sleepy looking humans, still dressed in their pyjamas and barefoot, having being woken by the sound of the engines and the movement. There was a chorus of four "Morning daddy" as they gathered around Andrew for a group hug. Then it was Ryan's turn, and then they did something that brought a huge grin to their dad's faces. They turned to Gabriel and Lucas and almost in unison said,

"Good morning. Welcome on 'Belle Catherine'. Gabriel and Lucas' faces lit up in pleasure.

"Good morning", they echoed also almost in unison. "Thank you".

"You're welcome", Elizabeth replied importantly. "We hope you enjoy your cruise".

"Wow! Thank you", Gabriel replied delightedly, and turned to Andrew and Ryan, who were both grinning broadly. "You have taught them well". Ryan shook his head.

"Oh no, they picked that up all by themselves. I think they've heard Andrew and I say it so often, both onthe yachts and at the lodges, that it has just rubbed off on them. It's the first time we have heard them do it, so we're just as amazed". He turned to the children. "Okay my angels, Daddy has nearly got breakfast ready. Cam and Elizabeth, please help Jamie and Fiona to wash up and brush their teeth. Then you must all get dressed for the day. You can't stay in your pyjamas all day. Soon as you're done, we can have breakfast".
A chorus of "Yes dad", preceded a dash down into the starboard hull with Rascal following in hot pursuit, his excited barking adding to the general mayhem.

As they approached the harbour mouth and were a short distance from making the turn to port, Ryan glanced at the radar screen and groaned, taking note of a very large, strong blip on the screen and knew immediately that they were going to be delayed going through the harbour mouth. He reached for the VHF radio and called the port control to request clearance to exit the harbour. As expected, he was advised to heave to and wait for the arriving local cruise liner to enter the harbour. A few minutes later the huge bulk of the white vessel filled the harbour entrance and a short while later it thrummed across their bows and down their starboard side on its way to its berth in the Waterfront, the wake causing them to rock slightly as it passed. Harbour control came back and cleared them through the harbour mouth and it wasn't long before they were out in Table Bay and making the turn to port at the end of the breakwater to head towards Mouille Point.

As they passed the Greenpoint lighthouse, the children arrived back in the saloon all washed and dressed and com-plaining that they were hungry. Fortunately, breakfast was ready so Andrew began the service almost immediately, serving his go-to muesli, fresh fruit, yogurt and honey parfaits to start, followed by a full English breakfast. Muffins, Danish pastries and croissants were served with tea and coffee. Everyone sat around the cockpit dining table, except Ryan who stayed watchful at the helm as they cruised serenely past Sea Point and Camps Bay and onto the spectacular sights of tChapmans Peak Drive. Gabriel and Lucas were utterly enthralled by the views, amazed at how quickly the views changed from built up urban suburbs to pictureseque landscapes.

A favourable twelve knot south westerly wind had 'Belle Catherine' revelling in the conditions and Ryan tweaked the sails ekeing out every knot that he could get out of her, eventually achieving a very respectable nine knots through the water. It was no surprise when they were joined by a large pod of dolphins who would keep pace with them and then race ahead to leap clear of the water. It was something Andrew, Ryan and the twins had experienced before, but it was a new and exciting one for Jamie, Fiona and the two Belgians.

Gabriel and Lucas sat with their legs dangling over the front of the yacht, both with video cameras in hand as Jamie, Fiona and the twins lay flat on their stomachs on the trampoline, their squeals of delight seeming to resonate with the dolphins who squeaked and whistled in return. At one stage two of the beautiful creatures surfaced directly under the children, turned on their sides and looked like they were smiling while watching them with one eye. The spectacle lasted for almost thirty minutes and they all felt a sense of loss when, with one last flourish of leaps out of the water, the dolphins dove deep and disappeared.

They were making such good time that by lunch they were just past Cape Hangklip and were tied up and squared away in the tiny harbour below Hermanus by five thirty even though the wind began dropping as the afternoon wore on. The rental vehicle that Andrew had arranged was delivered an hour after they arrived.

After a discussion with their guests, the decision was made to dine on board as they would be away for the entire day the next day. The gods smiled on Andrew as, within a few minutes of the decision being taken, a small delivery van pulled up on the pier and blew its horn. Andrew peered out through the galley windows and immediately recognised Roland, the friendly fisherman that he usually purchased fresh seafood from, and quickly disembarked to see what he had on offer. He greeted Andrew with a wide, gap-toothed smile.

"Mr Andrew, so good to see you again!. And your yacht is looking very beautiful, sir. Nice new paint job I think. But I recognised her the minute I saw her".

"Hello Roland, how are you? How is your wife and children?"

"They are all well Mr Andrew, thank you for asking. I have some nice fresh fish today. Just off the boat!
'
"Sounds good, Roland. What have you got? Some crayfish, I hope! Our is it just fish? Roland rubbed his hands together and grinned again.

"I got some kreef (crayfish in Afrikaans) just for you, Mr Andrew. Special! I saw you through my binoculars, so I chose the best ones we had on the boat. And I got some nice fat mussels as well. And some prawns", he told Andrew.

"Okay, let's have a look" Roland opened the rear of the van and stood back so that Andrew could view the contents.

Six large white containers with ice covered the floor of the van and in each container was a different item. Andrew was immediately drawn to the crayfish, noting that they did indeed look very good. They were still alive, but moving rather languidly due to the cold ice they were on. The remaining containers displayed prawns, bags of mussels, abalone, squid, and a variety of fish. After a short , but animated, bout of haggling, Andrew purchased six crayfish, three dozen large prawns and two bags of mussels, and a very happy Roland drove away after helping Andrew get everything to the galley.

Ryan had observed the discussions on the pier and had already set up the BBQ grill on transom, knowing hat its, and his, services were going to be required.
Andrew decided to just grill the crayfish on the BBQ grill basted with a garlic lemon butter. The prawns were threaded onto skewers and also grilled with periperi and the mussels he prepared Rockafeller style topped with herb butter and breadcrumbs. They were arranged on an oven tray and then baked on the grill with the lid closed. It was all accom-panied with savoury rice and a garden salad.

Their two guests, who had been in their cabin freshening up returned to the saloon and both sniffed appreciatively when they stepped out into the aft cockpit, where mouthwatering aromas wafted in the air.

"Something smells absolutely amazing", Lucas commented, getting nodding agreement from his husband.

"For sure", Gabriel added, "What have you got for us?", and Andrew quickly ran through the dinner menu.
"Sounds fantastic", Gabriel said

They made themselves comfortable at the cockpit table with glasses of Southern Right Sauvignon Blanc and Ryan kept them company while Andrew went below to the master cabin to sort out the children. When he got back upstairs with the children in tow, Ryan had all the seafood almost ready.
Andrew added a large knob of butter and freshly chopped parsley to the rice, served it onto platters and then their guests were requested to help themselves straight from the grill, while Andrew delivered finger bowls with lemon water and a pile of paper napkins to the table, encouraging everyone to use their fingers to eat with should they so wish.

When their guests were reseated, Andrew and Ryan served up smaller portions for the children and then helped themselves. Gabriel and Lucas were very complimentary about the food and there was a lot of slurps and moans of enjoyment as the buttery juices were licked off fingers. All that remained after the main course was over was a pile of empty crayfish and prawn carcasses, and mussel shells. The table was cleared and twenty minutes later Andrew served a simple tropical fruit salad with ice cream for dessert along with freshly brewed coffee, cognac and liqueurs.

After dinner, the children all watched a movie on the saloon TV, while the adults sat in the cockpit chatting enjoying the warm summer night, but they were all in their cabins relatively early in preparation for a fairly early start the next morning.