The Puffers

[ExFishermanBob]

There was a good program on the 'puffers' last night (BBC) with David Hayman presenting, followed by an episode of The Vital Spark -
worth getting the "Vital" videos as a pressie for Christmas if you are stuck - either the original black and white, the re-shot colour or the newer version with Gregor Fisher. Reminded me how funny it was - also, Para Handy reminds me of a couple of old skippers I knew, right down to the flat hat.

One of the skippers was called... well, I won't say, but I remember that he tended to rock from side to side when he walked (hips were bad) and used to use the phrase "ot-ot-ot". His boat used to be the same - used to see it approaching, rolling and "put-put-put"-ing (an old diesel). Always made me smile. He wasn't the one with the flat hat - that one also had a glass eye which occasionally got knocked out by the creel-hauler (if the rope jumped off the clench). I was never on-board for that, but was told by another crewman that there would be a terrific scramble for the eye, before it when down one of the finger-holes in the deck-boards and into the bilge.

Being one-eyed, he had terrible distance judgement, which resulted in regular fouling of the prop with the rope. You've not really lived until you've been held by the legs with your head underwater, hacking away at a rope with a blunt knife, while a one-eyed man swears away in gaelic at how heavy the 'b**st*rd' Englishman is.

It's no wonder that I have a fear of washing-up.

[Eichhörnchen]

Brilliant!

[Aktungbby]

You've not really lived until you've been held by the legs with your head underwater, hacking away at a rope with a blunt knife,

DID that off Stillwater Cove Monterey on a dive excursion only it was a nylon commercial fish net remnant. Better my prop than a passing migratory grey whale. Fortunately I was young (stupid but well insulated at 200Lbs.) and in a rented Aussie neoprene outfit with goggles. (rule one: never own your own dive $uit) I still have the dive knife w/fish line 'cutter notch' a most useful must-have tool on the inner right ankle. The best part was watching the ongoing Monterey Concourse d' Elegance Auto show through binoculars afterward and a good kelp-forest dive. Hindsight: the cheap solution: shaft rope cutter...that water's cold (32 F. @ 100ft.) BBY!

[ExFishermanBob]

Originally Posted by Aktungbby

DID that off Stillwater Cove Monterey on a dive excursion only it was a nylon commercial fish net remnant. Better my prop than a passing migratory grey whale. Fortunately I was young (stupid but well insulated at 200Lbs.) and in a rented Aussie neoprene outfit with goggles. (rule one: never own your own dive $uit) I still have the dive knife w/fish line 'cutter notch' a most useful must-have tool on the inner right ankle. The best part was watching the ongoing Monterey Concourse d' Elegance Auto show through binoculars afterward and a good kelp-forest dive. Hindsight: the cheap solution: shaft rope cutter...that water's cold (32 F. @ 100ft.) BBY!

Heh - the rope cutter might cut someone's creels adrift: you had to tie off before cutting so that you could attach a new buoy. That knife would have been handy, though.

I'm glad someone else has done it - I was young too.