Chapter 17

The navigator alert notified McCock that his last way point was fast approaching. After obtaining clearance, McCock, going manual, turned and took up the yard's heading. He was pointed at a solid flare of white light, which, as he came closer translated into the glare of several large portable lights illuminating the wreckage of the yard outer gates in which was embedded one end of a barge – about three to five hundred tonnes he thought. He hoped it was the low end of that size or the inner gates could be breached as well and that would be difficult.

"Aggy?" Polack came up on the comm.; must have seen the nav lights approaching. McCock activated landing lights.

"Hello Polack, How's it looking?"

"Not too expensive. The tugmaster is on his way back. Didn't even know he'd lost it until Slow got onto Harbour Control. This was the last in line and it broke away as he turned for home. There's a second one loose out there somewhere in the channel but Approach Radar have it. Can you get your light along the hull and give me the line along the hull. These leads won't reach. We should think about self powered lights some time."

"Put it on the 'would like to have list'. This suit you?"

"Can you come down just a bit I want to see if the hull has crumpled. That's it. Can you rotate round the hull, I'll move with you."

The Harbour Master arrived in his barge just before a small flivver joined the crowd. McCock completed the circle and as he stopped and floated over the free end of the barge the Harbour Master came over the local inter ship band,

"Ahoy the yard, Harbour Master here, anybody hurt and what's the damage?"

"Polack go local," ordered McCock.

"Got him, boss. Harbourmaster I'm the floater over the gates. No one's hurt. The inner gates are intact but the outer damage won't be known until the barge can be removed. The barge has considerable damage right forward with the air lock wrecked and the bow will have to be rebuilt. What sort of barge is this? Not seen it before."

"Tugmaster here. It's a cargo- in – atmosphere; usually inert gas to keep the pressure; special type for special cargo for specialized ships. Harbourmaster, will you come up on dedicated?"

After several minutes of silence over local, the Harbourmaster came back.

"HM back. Tugmaster authorizes you to extract the barge. His insurers might quibble they could get the work done cheaper but it is your outer gate. He'll put it strongly, for obvious reasons, that you get the repair work for your gates and the barge. Secure the barge now and leave it until full light. Make sure you bill the insurers for this work. I'll place beacon radar buoys around just in case some idiot is travelling too close and is blind. Good night. Harbour Master clear."

The flivver yawed and headed off to the Port. The barge lit her beacons and did a swing around the wreck well out to the edge of the channel, dropping off the flashing wreck buoys.