Australian Thoughts at the Weekend. 31st January and 1st February, 2009

Australian Thoughts at the Weekend. 31st January and 1st February, 2009

Messing Around in Boats

"There is nothing--absolutely nothing--half so much worth doing as simply messing around in boats," says the obviously wise Water Rat in Kenneth Grahame's book ‘Wind in the Willows’.

For me a great part of the messing around in boats is fishing. I love to have a baited line or two over the side of the boat. Better still is to have a lively fish fighting to stop me dragging him to my dinner plate via the boat.

Another great part of messing around in my boat is to be anchored just by the main channel as we fish and watch the various boats go past. There is a huge variety.

My boat is best described as a small aluminium dinghy (it is 3.4 metres or 11 feet with an 18 hp outboard motor) so most boats that go past are bigger. So I dream of being in one of the big ones (10 mtrs/30ft to 20mtrs/60ft is normal.) with a boat about the size of mine hanging off the back as the tender. Bigger boats are real heaven on water stuff. These dream boats are wider than mine is long. As these bigger ones power past I am often waken from my daydreams by the waves from their wake that make my ‘tinnie’ bob up and down. These luxurious boats probably cost as much as some of the basic churches where we gather for worship. I was a private luxury boat in July but more of that later.

Other boats that pass are carrying tourists. Some are going out to the ocean reefs for a day’s fishing. Others will fish around the smooth water. A variety of other boats give tours and day trips around the waterways with commentary as they go. I have heard us being mentioned on the public address system as the amphibious ‘ducks” which carry sightseers have passed. Sometimes we have been fortunate enough to catch a fish as they pass just a few meters away. It is nice to be a tourist attraction. I smile as I am captured on a dozen Japanese video cameras and countless still cameras.

Some boats take divers out for a diving lesson or adventure. Some have tourists strapped in tightly and they get their thrills by speed as the driver spins the boat and jumps the ocean waves. Other thrill seekers will try the parasails. That is being lifted high on a parachute being towed behind a powerful speed boat.

There are of course stately sail boats, tall ships and luxury yachts that could sail any ocean. Of course, there are also the smaller ones made for the family and even the kids alone to mess around in. Others will paddle canoes or kayaks and sometimes a team of paddlers will pass in their dragon boat which looks like it has come all the way from some South Seas tropical island.

There is every variety of boat. I haven’t mentioned houseboats, jet skis, barbecue or party pontoons, water taxis, water police and rescue boats. There are fishing trawlers, and various work barges, some transporting cars and trucks to the islands. Small planes equipped to land and take off from the water are noisy and scary as they come right towards you before taking off and going above our heads. It is as the tourist advertisements say “Beautiful one day, perfect the next”.

If Queensland is beautiful one day and perfect the next, it seemed more than perfect when my wife and I stepped onto a 100 feet long private cruiser in Rome, Italy as the guests of the owner. My brother-in-law who helped us organise our itinerary for our shared time in England and Europe met the owner to discuss business while we were in London.

After discussing business they got to talking about our itinerary and that we were going to Rome and then to Naples to visit Pompeii. The business man asked about the dates and then said “I will be there then. How would you like to go from Rome to Naples on my boat”. So as we stepped onto the boat we stepped into a world of luxury that can only be imagined. Five of us joined the owner, his wife and two other guest for the trip of a life-time.

The boat had a permanent crew of 4 comprising a Captain, a chef (Hell’s Kitchen winner Terry Miller) and two helpers. As we left Rome we faced wind blown sea waves. The boat powered through them but the up and down movement made some sick. The owner said to us that if it got worse, we would have to turn back but he would confer with the skipper to see what eh recommended.

He came back with the news that at the skipper’s suggestion we would increase speed and that should solve the problem. The sick ones would soon feel better but the downside for him was that the big twin diesel engines would consume 1800 litres of fuel each hour.

It worked. The trip was now much smoother and the wake was spectacular. However, it did attract the attention of the Italian Coast Patrol who stopped us and wanted to know why we were travelling so quickly.

After an overnight stop alongside a jetty on the island of Ponza (Isola Di Ponza – have a look at Google results for Ponza), we soon made it to Naples where we lined up in the Marina with other not insignificant vessels.

I thought of the rough seas off Italy when I read today’s reading from Mark’s Gospel. The Disciples and Jesus were on a smaller boat and did not have the power of big diesel engines. However, they had the amazing power of Jesus.

Mark 4:35-41 (The Message)
35-38 Late that day he said to them, "Let's go across to the other side." They took him in the boat as he was. Other boats came along. A huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it. And Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused him, saying, "Teacher, is it nothing to you that we're going down?"
39-40 Awake now, he told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, "Quiet! Settle down!" The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass. Jesus reprimanded the disciples: "Why are you such cowards? Don't you have any faith at all?"
41 They were in absolute awe, staggered. "Who is this, anyway?" they asked. "Wind and sea at his beck and call!"
Beautiful one day, perfect the next? With Jesus, it was life threatening one moment an perfect peace the next.
[Listen: New York Staff Band Male Voice: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music3/mus_4131.mp3

OR

Chelmsford Songsters:
http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_2420.mp3

Once I was lost, on the breakers tossed,
And far away from shore;
My drifting bark all in the dark,
No beacon light before.
I was sinking fast when the lifeboat passed
And the Captain took me in;
Now the storm is o'er and I fear no more,
I have perfect peace within.

Chorus
I'm bound for Canaan's shore,
I'm bound for Canaan's shore,
I'm off for a trip in the gospel ship,
To Canaan's happy shore.

Thank God! 'tis true, my heart's quite new,
Old things have passed away;
And now I know the cleansing flow
Rolls o'er my soul each day.
'Tis a glorious thing to know the sting
Of death has been destroyed,
And that Jesus lives in my heart, and gives
What can sweetly be enjoyed!

And when at last, all dangers past,
I join the blood-washed throng,
Though with the least at the heavenly feast,
I'll sing the glad new song.
O what bliss complete when my Lord I meet
In the banquet hall on high,
And with comrades there in love I share
The joys that never die!
William Giles Collins (1854-1931),alt
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 375

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