The Fun Of Being A Launch Driver

SHIP'S LOG:

       There ain't much! Most shifts are 6 hours, some are 4 and some are 8. You spend most of your time standing in a rocking little 26 foot launch trying to keep from falling over. You fight to keep your balance and after your shift, your legs are screaming, especially the knees, which in my case are already screaming.When things are hectic, you are trying to keep a list of the pick-ups you have to make, trying to remember whether the boat is in the North Mooring Field or the South Mooring Field. I want to pick them up in the order they call -  first call, first to get picked-up - but sometimes it isn't always convenient or even possible. And every now and again, you forget one and they quickly remind you.

       Then there is the approach to the boat itself. Depending on the wind and the wave action, it can be a piece of cake or a horror story. Ideally, one wants to"hit" the fattest part of the side of the boat and grab hold and hopefully the boarding ladder will end up right at the gate from the cockpit. But the launch is a pig with little way on and  that often makes for a lot of last minute maneuvering. And you never know what you are going to get. This past week, I've had people with two large dogs, a man and his son with two bikes, assorted bags and a spinnaker pole almost as long as the launch. Everyone comes aboard with at least a knapsack and most often also a cooler. One out of every four trips in requires a trip back out to retrieve something they "forgot" -  cell phone, wallet, car keys.

     It is useless to order lunch or dinner for the simple fact that someone will call after the first bite. And even  when things are slow, you drop off  some one at the dock, tied up the launch, walk up the dock to the clubhouse and sit down, and then there is a call on the radio for another pick-up and off you got again. Any problems or complaints or requirements that anyone has get dumped in your lap. O, it is so much fun.