SAVED BY THE SEALS

Things at the slipway continued in much the same way as before, with Lil Cloud and Big Wessy trying as hard as they could to hinder Queensbury, and Al Legory running rings round them. At low tide there was barely room for one boat to get alongside the loading ramp, and Lil Cloud would deliberately ground me there and try to block Queensbury from using it, this strategy proved to be futile on the few occasions that we managed to do so, as all Queensbury did was to shove her stem in to the slipway ahead or behind of me, load up and sail away leaving me high and dry for a couple of hours!

Whilst our efforts did often delay Queensbury, by and large she did continue to beat us. I felt so depressed at the antics of my owners, as I spent more time laid in the harbour than getting to sea, where I really wanted to be.

Something had to change as I was proving to be an unprofitable venture, and to my owners surprise Al Legory suggested to them that there was a new opportunity taking people to view the seal colony at a reef of rocks 4 miles south of Scarlington, known as "Casty", that uncovered as the tide ebbed and where the seals hauled themselves out to sunbathe, Al Legory was willing to help my owners by putting the idea to them, when in return all they had done was try to put him out of business, was typical of Al's charitable nature.

"Tell thee wot Lil Cloud"said Big Wessy, not to be outdone at not spotting what appeared to be a good idea, "I will design us a web site on t'internet, that way folks'l cum from all over t' world to sail wi'us"

It appears that Big Wessy, was also computer nerd who spent hours searching the worldwide web in his thirst for knowledge, which surprised me as he is generally regarded as a bloke who knows it all anyway, judging by the stuff he came out with when perched on his favourite position, my portside mooring post!

So we had signs made offering two hour trips to see the seals and with our website up and running, I have to say things did improve for us slightly, and though we didn't get many full trips, Lil Cloud was happy to get clear of the embarrassment of being seen laid in the harbour day after day.

We would have done much better if my owners knew where they where going of course. Unfortunately they didn't and, quiet sensibly under the circumstances, we never got nearer than half a mile to Casty, which meant that quite often the passengers never saw more than a glimpse of a seal, had my owners had any local knowledge we would have been able to get within ten foot of the seals in safety.

To cover our embarrassment the passengers were usually told we were going to search for puffins at Filey Brig! considering that Filey Brig is six miles from Scarlington and the most I can manage with my clapped out engines is 6 mph and the fact that our trip only lasts two hours, so you will imagine the disappointed passengers expressions as they disembarked, usually cold and wet, after steaming around for two hours and seeing nothing of much at all.

As we got to the end of yet another season it was apparent to everyone that my owners were bone idle and really were not bothered about getting me to sea. Consequently I was lucky to get two trips a day even in the busiest part of the season.

Jolly Roger and Queensbury were delighted as they were able to work unhindered by the inept manoeuvring of me by my owners.

I was coming to the end of my fourth season of operating at Scarlington and still not showing a profit, and it showed! I had not had a paint up since leaving Pun Mill four years ago, in fact I never even had a wash down at the end of the day because we couldn't afford a deck brush.

So as the Queensbury and Jolly Roger sailed off to spend the winter safe and secure in Whatby, I was abandoned to spend another cold and lonely winter swinging on a rope in Scarlington Harbour.
                                                                                                              Billy Inkwell Ashtray