Larry Dickens - Novelist & Mariner
Tropical Depression Preview
Briscoe was the last one left on deck to step into the boat. He blocked Dell's way.
"Dell, you are going. We don't have time for this. Now, get back in the boat."
Dell hesitated a moment. He said, "Mate, I don't think she - "
"GET IN THE BOAT!"
Dell snorted, looked like he was going to explode, thought the better of it, bit his tongue, and then did what he was told. He turned around, climbed back into the boat, and sat back down.
Briscoe then stepped into the boat and assumed a position at the stern. He grabbed the release line to the after tricing pendant. Both forward and after tricing pendants held the boat snug up against the Majestic Prince's main deck so crewmembers could embark.
"Release the tricing pendants!" Briscoe yelled above the drone of the wind.
Moxey and Hawkins released the forward pendant, while Briscoe and Mainline released the after one simultaneously. With the tricing pendants released, the boat was now free to be lowered.
An angry Captain Leech continued to watch from the bridge wing. When he saw Moxey get into the boat he tried to speak out, but thought his radio battery must be dead since Briscoe didn't seem to hear him. He quickly rushed into the wheelhouse to get another radio.
Briscoe looked at Knuckles who was standing by the winch brake and yelled, "Lower away, Bosun!"
Knuckles nodded, lifted the brake handle on the lifeboat winch, and the boat began its descent.
Briscoe saw Mainline pumping up the lifeboat engine's troublesome, hydraulic starting mechanism. He then heard Leech's voice - a very angry voice - crackling over his radio speaker again.
"Mr. Bris-coe, what's that young lady doing in the boat? I don't want her to go!"
"Oh, shit," Briscoe cursed. "Here we go." He couldn't very well ignore the Old Man this time.
From the bow of the boat even Moxey heard Leech over the radio, too. She angrily glared at Briscoe, as if to say "stand up for me."
Dell grumbled aloud, "See? Even the captain doesn't want her in the boat."
Briscoe said to Mainline, "I don't have any time to hoist this boat back up and put her off. There's a man drowning over there." He held his radio to his face and said, "Captain, are you trying to talk to me? You're breaking up."
"I said I don't want the woman to go!" Leech repeated harshly.
"Captain, I can't understand a word you're saying!" Briscoe shouted above the howling wind. He looked up at the Old Man who was staring down from the bridge wing. Briscoe waved his radio at him as if to say, "it's no good."
"Damn!" Leech cursed, and then to himself, "You can hear me."
First engineer Mainline was still pumping up the engine's hydraulic starting mechanism as the boat was being lowered to the water.
Briscoe asked, "Is that thing going to work?"
The big engineer glanced at Briscoe and didn't say anything. He stopped pumping the starting mechanism, pulled the trip lever, and kicked over the diesel engine. The little engine sputtered for several tense moments and then finally roared to life. He smiled at Briscoe and answered, "Yes."