I was caught in a bus in mid-Manhattan traffic today. I had just bought my 2001 copy of Eldridge Tide and Pilot book, which is the bible for East Coast paddlers looking for currents and tidal info. Bored with the slow pace of the bus as it snailed along in the molasses flow of cabs, cars and trucks, I retrieved the Eldridge from my day pack; the book opened to a page (p. 196) with a season's story in a nautical setting. It was a reprint of an article in an old Yankee magazine and was written by the captain of the Achilles, a World War II amphibious craft repair ship. The setting was the winter of 1943. The Achilles had returned for its own repairs to Milne Bay, New Guinea after being hit by several 550 pound bombs that didn't sink her but left her pretty beat up and with many casualties. Normally a crew suffering such damage and loss of life would be pulled off the line and sent to Australia for R & R. But the Achilles was badly needed to join the force already on the move to another assault on a Japanese held island. The Admiral told the skipper "Well, you are a repair ship, so repair yorself." So there sat the Achilles on Christmas Eve alongside another repair ship, the Rigal, in Milne Bay. The crew, with no rest or leave, was tired, over-worked and grouchy. The captain of the Achilles was approached by Lt. Robert White, who as it turns out who was part of the Eldridge family and in charge of magnetic compass repairs. Lt. White asked for permission to go up on the forward deck to play Christmas carols on his flute. The captain replied "Bob, If you do that I'll have to send along an armed guard to protect you from mayhem. This crew is in no mood for Christmas carols. What they need is a good crap game, but I can't offer them that." The captain thought to himself that there were some very tough seamen and ratings on board and that they didn't know the lieutenant because his duties were so specialized. He really feared for the guy's safety. Now to the rest of the captain's narrative: "Bob went forward, sat himself down on the bollard, and started playing his flute. The notes of a flute floating into hot, humid air and wafting ashore to become lost in palm trees is a sound that will never leave me. It lifted me four feet off the deck and held me entranced in space. "Evidently it affect the crew the same way, because within minutes practically the whole ship's complement made their way to the forward deck and started singing along with Bob's flute. The Rigal's crew caught wind of the music and they lined their rail and joined in. It was an experience none of us will ever forget. The singing went on for hours and the athmosphere became full of love and good will to all." Merry Christmas and good will to all who sail PaddleWise, ralph diaz -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Thanks Ralph. Fortunate for us you were stuck on that slow bus with nothing but the Golden Book to occupy your time. Happy Holidays everyone. Debbie Reeves > ---------- > From: ralph diaz[SMTP:rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com] > > I was caught in a bus in mid-Manhattan traffic today. I had just bought > my 2001 copy of Eldridge Tide and Pilot book, which is the bible for > East Coast paddlers looking for currents and tidal info. Bored with the > slow pace of the bus as it snailed along in the molasses flow of cabs, > cars and trucks, I retrieved the Eldridge from my day pack; the book > opened to a page (p. 196) with a season's story in a nautical setting. > <the rest snipped> *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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