Chapter 11: Tampa

It was four AM when I relieved Fred and I learned of the engine room fire only minutes afterwards. About an hour later, I received the report the fire was out and all hands safe. Logged the event afterwards, as started 0400, extinguished 0500.

Nobody will be in the office before eight, or we use, 0800. I’ll wait until later, let them enjoy their first morning cup of coffee before I call. We are thirty some hours distant from Egmont Key entrance channel and depending where the office arranges a dock for us, it could take up to another ten hours through the many long channels inside Tampa Bay. Waiting until 0815 or so before notifying the office is not a significant delay. They can’t do anything this early.

Mr. Tynsall has a different opinion. Bawled me out! Should have called him at home when the fire first started. Trying my stretched thin patience, micro-management by office suits, I can’t tolerate.

“And how would you help, if I HAD called at four AM? Never mind! I require this NOW! We need all fire extinguishers replaced or recharged. Buy spares. We only carry a bare minimum legal number of extinguishers. I want twice the minimum. We need a dock to exchange and load the extinguishers. I’m going ashore to file a required incident report with the Coast Guard. Call your insurer to send an insurance adjuster to document the damage. Our two ABs are quitting. I need new hires quick. Get them inoculated with shot cards issued. I need my spare ram and seals. Ordered months ago and never received. No excuse for it. Can’t sail without them! Make it happen. We only have twenty four hours in port. Time is short!”

Silence. Mr. Tynsall is probably considering the gravel and demand he heard in my voice and determining how best to respond. Obey my orders or assert himself and attempt to replace me on short notice? Actually, if he fires me, the voyage is broken, because you can’t swap out captains on a whim. Paper work and fees would need to re-started from scratch with a new captains signatures. Time wouldn’t any longer be much concern. Ample time to seek my replacement.

Why would I issue orders to my employer like he was a subordinate? The vessel’s master IS legally in command, and even if the owner is aboard, he cannot countermand the captain. Only replace him upon arrival in port, or try coercing the captain by threatening to replace him. That is a legally sticky situation to create. Attempting to or coercing a captain to break the law, or do something unsafe, by threatening to fire him, is illegal. A ten thousand dollar fine on the owner, and the captain can sue for any lost wages! Will Mr. Tynsall dismiss me in Tampa? Subconsciously, maybe I was hoping he will! That uninhibited me, I think, and I commanded him. Wouldn’t break my heart if he fires me. Do I want to make this voyage? Yes and No.

Foolishness. We are being sent to a dock in Ybor City. Ten hours up the channel, and you can’t go much farther with a boat this size. Ten hours or a bit less to return down the channel when we leave. Was it economic concerns? Four pilot’s fees up and four pilot’s fees back down, each pilot fee is in the thousands of dollars for all this equipment. The liftboat and the barge have their own pilots, too. Why didn’t they just anchor near the Sunshine bridge? I suggested we ALL anchor out of the channel, in an anchorage just inside Sunshine bridge. The pushboat “Skeeter” could ferry us back and forth between shore! Well, since the office insists on spending extra money, they can pay us more. I’m demanding major pay increases across the board as hazard pay. Mr Tynsall is flying to Tampa.

Mr. Tynsall takes me to lunch, or brunch. Tells me the company is strapped for cash, because of all the stuff I ordered and can’t afford pay increases. I put my cards on the table. Three by five index cards in a stack. Every time Mr Tynsall says something obviously untrue, I turn over a card. Each is boldly stamped “BULLSHIT”. It’s an upscale restaurant. Don’t want to shout!

Finally, I was able to overcome all the obstinate obstacles he had raised in his own mind. Convinced him, he could not afford to deny me anything. It’s solely my decision when to cast off again. If I choose to delay longer than twenty four hours, nobody can force me to leave sooner. And exactly twenty four hours from putting the first line on the dock? Everything screeches to a halt if we haven’t gone.

“YOU ARE A DAMMED PIRATE!” Mr. Tynsall dislikes being thwarted. He shouldn’t shout like that, we are getting disapproving stares from staff and other diners.

“Haven’t I been YOUR pirate, fighting to save you money at every turn? Despite you throwing away thousands on foolishness? You can’t claim you didn’t know, because I told you again and again, but you ignored my wise advice. Now, you turn out your pockets and pretend they’re empty. Shame on you for being such an inept liar!”