Fordell - 14. Ford Ch 14

Meanwhile the remaining eight crewmembers, will share twin cabins, and the producer and two film-production crewmembers will have a twin cabin each. From Cairns onwards we will have a larger production crew onboard, to work out the finer details of the programme before the temporary crew arrive, and the extras will fly out on the day the temporary crew arrive,” I informed my crew.

The crew decided to wait until after all the carpets are cleaned before moving all of their belongings over to the new yacht, which was fine with me, and in the meantime, the crew got busy getting familiar with the new yacht, and looking in all of the cupboards and storage lockers.

“James, did my wave runner get transferred over?” I asked when I suddenly remembered, “Not sure sir, I will have to check with the Bosun,” James replied, and he headed off to find Marius. When James returned, he did not look to happy.

“I am sorry sir, I neglected to tell Marius about it, so it went with the old yacht,” James informed me. “That is fine, I will leave it to you to find a new replacement for me, here is my credit card to pay for it,” I said to James as I handed over my card, and using the hire vehicle, he set off looking for a replacement Wave Runner for me.

I headed down to the recreation garage, where I found Marius checking the Jet Ski. “Hello, I was wondering if we have everything that is listed on the Yacht’s manifest,” I asked Marius. “No sir, I had done a brief check of everything, but I was mainly checking for damaged items not missing ones, and I have discovered the three sea bobs, two paddle boards, three wake boards and the surfboard all missing sir,” Marius said to me.

“That is fine, we do not really need them for this 13 week charter, but we may need some more kayaks and snorkelling gear, so when Captain James returns can you please take the vehicle and see if you can buy some double kayak’s and a dozen sets of new snorkelling gear including fins please,” I asked.

“Yes sir, I shall do that,” Marius replied. I was on the bridge with Louise, when Marius arrived about half an hour later. “Sir I have also found a giant cut in the sea pool, looks to be deliberate,” Marius informed me. “Ok, see if you can get a new one, and I will add this to the list of damaged goods, you better check the sea trampoline as well,” I replied.

“Not a good start to the new yacht eh sir,” Louise commented, and I just grunted in reply, as I was thinking of something else, before picking up the telephone and pressing the button for garage. “Bosun speaking,” came a voice in answer to my call, “Marius, get some scuba gear as well, as I need you to do a thorough check of the belly of the yacht, just in case they have put something onto it,” I said.

“Yes sir, I can do that snorkelling gear, and I will do it right away,” Marius replied. By the end of the day, the whole yacht had been completely rechecked, and there were small amounts of damage not seen before, that was added to my list, and I was relieved to know that there were no unwanted items attached to the hull of the yacht.

Captain James established a four-hour watch roster, so that there is someone onboard all the time from now on, while the rest of the crew returned to the on land accommodation. For the following two days, all of the carpets were thoroughly cleaned, and once each of the senior crew cabins was completed and dry, the crew began to move into their new quarters, which are far larger than those on the old yacht are.

James was not sure about having such a large suite instead of the standard Captain’s cabin, but I insisted that he have that suite, which is directly across from mine, and with just the four of us having access to the Bridge deck Lounge, my senior officers were extra happy.

Finally after four days in Newcastle, we were ready to set off north, with everyone settled into their new cabins, all damaged items replaced, all missing items replaced, stocked up with plenty of supplies and the whole yacht looking sparkling clean.

It would be a long two days of sailing to get to Brisbane, with an overnight stop at Coffs Harbour, and we were will moor at Wynnum Jetty, due east of the city, to check on the yacht again, to see if we come across any problems.

We ended up having some minor engine problems on the way up, so it was just coming on dawn before we arrived in Brisbane, and after a few hours of sleep, Louise and Samantha headed off looking for engine parts for the yacht. I was on the bridge talking to James, when he answered the sat phone.

“Yes, I can find that, we will set off right away… oh ok we will wait for your return, bye,” James said, “That was Louise, there is a shipping company just around the corner that can look at our engines right away, so as soon as they return we will sail around to the Brisbane River,” James explained to me.

“I don’t see the Singapore group getting any of their money, after I have paid for all of this lot of work,” I commented, “Yes, real bastards they are,” James said. I knew that we would be cutting it close with a set arrival time in Cairns to collect the filming crew, with it being a 3 ½ day journey from Brisbane, with three overnight stops, we are due to collect them in just five days time.

I sent an email to the Film producer, “Engine Maintenance in progress in Brisbane, we will be up to four days late, depending on how the repairs go,” I said in the message, and about half an hour later a reply came, “Understood, enjoying the surroundings of Cairns, a beautiful place it is here, see you when you get here.”

I was a little surprised of the casual reply, but also glad that we now had three days extra to get everything repaired, and I passed on this information to James, who was just as pleased. When we finally left Brisbane, the yacht was purring, and Captain James and Gretchen were very pleased, as we headed north once again, with four days set for the journey to Cairns.

It was late afternoon on the fourth day since leaving Brisbane, when we came into Cairns, and James had arranged for us to moor at Palm Cove Jetty, in the far northern suburbs of Cairns, and we were secured to the jetty just on Dusk.

Once again, James arranged a 4-hour watch roster, and it was while we were having dinner, that the sat phone rang, and Louise who was on watch answered it, and she appeared a few minutes later. “Captain, it is the film producer wanting to know if we have arrived yet?” Louis informed us.

“Yes, this is Captain Hakney speaking… yes we arrived about an hour ago, and we are just having dinner right now,” James said, as he listened to the film producer speaking. “Roydon Beachfront Apartments, Trinity Beach… let me check how far we are from there,” James said.

I was already looking up the accommodation by name to see where we are compared to them, and when the information came up on the screen, I handed my phone over to James. “Ok, we are located at Palm Cove jetty, about 11 kilometres by road north of you.

To get here you need to get onto the Captain Cook Highway and head north, and turn right onto Warren Street, then left onto Cedar road, to the very end, and turn left onto Williams Esplanade, and the jetty is on the right opposite the end car park… No come in the morning after 8 am, as we have a few things to do before we leave again, goodnight,” James said before ending the call.

“Bloody producer wants to come right away, but I told him to come tomorrow morning,” James added as he stood up, “where are you going?” I asked, “To lock up the yacht, so he doesn’t sneak onboard early,” James said as he headed off downstairs to the main deck, as we were eating on the sundeck.

About ten minutes later, after hearing the boarding platform being retracted and other doors had been locked, James returned and sat down to finish his now cold dinner. Once he had finished he sighed, “I have shut off all lights in common areas, so there is just the lights to the internal stairs and foyers, and there coloured lights on this deck,” James informed us.

“Yes, they are quite amazing these, I am sure it will keep the guests entertained,” I responded, as Elizabeth and Marius began to clear the table, while Renaldo headed down to the galley to finish cleaning up his workspace, while the dirty dishes were brought down via the dumb waiter.

Heading down to the bridge saloon, we just put on one soft light, to provide some light, as we sat down to relax for the rest of the evening, and most of us retired within the hour after ending dinner, as we were all fairly tired from the past week of dramas.

With my cabin facing the jetty, I hear the faint shouting coming from the jetty below, and I tried to ignore it, but could not, so I phoned Hunter, and asked him to deal with the noise. I was pleased when the noise finally stopped and I was able to drift off to sleep.

At breakfast the next morning, which we had been having in the crew saloon on the lower deck, Hunter informed us that it was the Film producer and one of his crew, trying to get into the yacht, and he had politely told him to rack off and come back after 8 am as he had been instructed.

Renaldo appeared from the main deck, “They are already here,” he said to me in Italian, and I responded in Italian, thanking him for the information, and that they can damn well wait. Renaldo laughed before heading back up to the galley.

“Chef has informed me that they are already here, and I told him that they can damn well wait,” I said to the rest of the crew. “How many languages do you speak Sir?” Ashton, our youngest crewmember asked.

“Four including Australian, the other three are all European languages. Italian, as you just heard, as well as Romansch and also German, although not many speak Romansch, as it is a minor language of Switzerland mostly,” I replied, as I looked up at the clock on the wall, which ready 7.40 am.

“I think dress uniform for the first half an hour of the film crew being with us then to work uniforms for the rest of the day,” I added, as we all stood up and while the galley team cleaned up, the rest headed to their cabins to be changed.

Right on 8 am, Marius and Ashton extended the boarding platform, and opened the doors leading into the main deck foyer, where we all had gathered in a line, with James closest to the door. “Hello and welcome onboard the Saluzi, I am Captain Hakney,” James said to the first man to come onboard.

“Hello, I am Julian Ashburton, the Producer of this filming project. This is Ashley Jensen my Executive assistant, Margaret Tomkins my Director, Werner Kvetch my senior camera operator, Helga Meyer my 2^nd camera operator, Mike Yardley my senior sound technician, Luke Oliver my 2^nd sound tech, Christina Grand the director’s assistant and Bradley Erickson is our Gaffer,” the producer replied.

“This is my permanent crew, I hope that all of your staff are up to date with the conditions of this going ahead on this yacht” James asked, “They are, we just need to be shown around the yacht now,” the producer said. “Firstly I will introduce you all to my crew.

My 1^st Officer Gretchen, 2^nd Officer Edwin, Chief Engineer Samantha, Chief Bosun Marius, Coxswain Ashton, Security Officer Hunter, Paramedic Chris, Executive Chef Renaldo, and Chief Steward Elizabeth. Just a reminder, that apart from the aft deck, all of the Bridge deck is off limits, as is the permanent crew cabins, which are just forward of the laundry on the lower deck.

I will allow you to take some footage of the bridge during the trip up to the film site, at different times of the day and night, but it must not include any of my permanent crew including myself. Who are the people that will be onboard the whole 13 weeks?” I informed the film crew.

“That will be Margaret, Werner, Helga, Mike, Luke, Christina and Bradley,” the producer replied. “That is seven, I was only expecting three or four,” James responded, who glanced in my direction and I gave a light shrug of the shoulders and a nod of my head.

“Ok, well we will have to make some adjustments in that case, Elizabeth and Marius will show you all around, and once you have loaded all of your luggage and equipment onboard, we will get started,” James said and he headed to the stairs, with Gretchen, Louise and myself following.

Once we had sat down in the Bridge Saloon, there were a few minutes of silence. “Right, we will have to watch this lot, I can see that they are going to be a real pain in the arse. No doubt, two of them with German names probably speak German, so can you Gretchen and Marius as well as I, keep an ear out when they are out and about. Let me know what they say. Now with the accommodation of the seven remaining onboard when the rest of the temporary crew arrive.

All but the director will have to share cabins, and if they don’t like it tough luck to them, actually we can maybe put the Director in the last crew double cabin, across from Hunter. That means that the film crew will only occupy three cabins, and still leave room for the 11 temporary crew, all in shared twin cabins, except the chef” I commented.

“I think that fits perfectly boss, have they decided on what the numbers are in regards to deck crew, galley crew and stewards are?” James asked, “No, but I have suggested to the Producer that there be five deck crew including a bosun and senior deckhand, four stewards including a senior steward and a bar steward, plus the chef and a galley steward,” I replied.

“What about meal times, is Renaldo cooking for just the permanent crew or for the film crew as well?” James asked me. “Good point there, I hadn’t thought of that. Renaldo, would you be provide meals for the seven film crew as well as us?” I asked.

“Yes sir, that is not a problem,” Renaldo replied in Italian, and I smiled. “Good, they can eat after the permanent crew, and they will have to eat in the crew mess area on the lower deck.

Now just a reminder, I am not to be addressed by my title, for the next 13 and bit weeks, I will be just an ordinary 2^nd Officer of a luxury yacht, to be known as 2^nd officer or Mr Fordell,” I said to my senior crew.

“Yes sir, I mean Mr Fordell,” James said, and I chuckled at this, as I changed subjects and asked about what the weather forecast is like for the next week. About half an hour later, Marius arrived.