Of Foreign Build by Jackie Parry Read Free Book Online

sweet grass and grand trees, succulent roast chicken, and gooey ice-cream. We kept moving; our thoughts did too, drifting away like clouds.
    When I heard Noel “galley squirreling” I anticipated the smells. Tea meant it was my time to stand watch. Coffee meant I could close my eyes as he was making a mid-watch eyelid boost. Efforts of sleeping were linked with conditions – the gentle motion like a swaying train, or the vicious rolling in a malevolent and restless ocean where your insides jostled within your skin.
    In tune with the vessel, new sounds were more obvious to me; “Hasty Tasties” (tin cans) could wriggle loose and create a drumbeat with a thriving echo. Snuggled in a comfy bunk listening to the patter of rain on deck, the ocean rushing alongside and creaking lines comforted me.
    It was no fun being woken up at three o’clock in the morning and stumbling around in a vessel that was moving three dimensionally. Dressing in the dark in order to maintain night vision, while trying to keep balanced, was a great recipe for sea-sickness. Staggering into the cockpit, I’d clip my safety harness on and rapidly search the horizon, trying to grasp my bearings. At this point, Noel would hand me a cup of steaming tea and provide me with a run down on what had happened during his watch. At times it was so dark that the sea and the sky became one. Across the horizon, boats that were just pinpricks matched the pinprick stars in the black sky. Sleep bartering became a way of life, with Oscar-winning yawns to try to entice sympathy and maybe a minute or two longer in a warm bunk.
    Ashmore Reef is a clear-water lagoon, a mid-point between Darwin and Bali, and a welcomed rest stop. The Australian Customs catamaran, Wauri , was posted here. As we approached the lagoon, the radio crackled into life.
    ‘If you’re coming in here, hang fire guys, I’ll come out and show you the way in.’ Doug, second in command of Wauri , armed with a huge grin, sped towards us in his RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) and gallantly revealed the route into the protected lagoon. We could stop for a few days and were delighted to have the knowledgeable guidance into the winding channel. We had had two gentle days at sea, but welcomed the opportunity of a break. By luck, we had timed it perfectly.
    ‘It’s quiet for us at the moment, so we’ll show you around.’ The customs men and women seemed glad to have some new company. Ordinarily, the team on board the huge vessel Wauri picked up Indonesians that had paid their life savings to be dropped, literally, into Australian waters. The refugees hoped to be arrested by customs and taken into the land of gold. The current hiatus enabled Australia’s defence team to spend some time with us, so the next three days were like a pre-paid, all inclusive, once in a lifetime tour. The customs vessel housed up-to-the-minute equipment. Noel, myself and a couple of other cruisers also en route to Bali felt as though we were in a candy store for boats. After a gadget-go-round, we were offered freshly baked chocolate cake and coffee. Next we discussed the afternoon’s activities, which involved snorkelling.
    ‘Don’t mind the sea snakes,’ Doug said with a sly grin.
    ‘Sea snakes!?’ I mouthed silently at Noel, trying not to panic and test my walk-on-water skills.
    ‘They’re harmless,’ announced Doug, ‘just a bit inquisitive; their mouths are so small that they can only bite between your fingers or your ears.’
    In the clear, cool sparkling water, we swam with gliding turtles, teeming fish, and glowing coral. The snakes didn’t stand a chance with me. I swam with my fingers together, firmly covering my ears.
    At the end of an incredible day, the customs team said, ‘Tomorrow, we’ll take you for a spin on our speed machine. In the meantime, here’s some videos to watch and if you want to do some laundry, just bring it aboard tomorrow. Sleep well.’ And with that and a smiling wave, Doug dropped us