Farewell Stormdrift
I get the nod from Hazel and step off the boat into the water, quickly getting out of the way and hiding beside the harbour wall. Once the boat is onto the cradle the huge winch begins to wind in the grease covered cable and slowly she emerges from the water. And so begins possibly one of the most unusual dives of my career. 6 inches for about 20 minutes. Good job im not doing any deco, i bet a 3inch stop is a bugger to hold……..
It is my job to swim over and check the keel lines up with the white marks on the crade itself, as if she is squint it could seriously damage the boat. Soon enough the boat is out of the water completley and the survey can begin.
The Hope at 8am today
The Claymore leaving for Gills Bay
Stormdrift has been in Scapa since 1992, taking divers all over the flow, i dread to think how many people have dived from her over the years, the echoes of their passing absorbed by the timbers giving her such a huge soul. Stormdrift has been part of so many peoples lives and it will be a real shame to see her leave, whether it be with the current people interested in her, or not. Its really quite strange to say a boat has a soul, but they do, almost as if they are alive themselves. Im not sure how she feels at the moment, maybe nervous, excited but hopefully safe in the knowledge we wouldnt sell her to just anyone.
We have taken her over to St Margrets Hope, a small harbour on South Ronaldsay. The journey down was a sombre one, me guiding her out of the harbour for what could be the last time, past the Barrel of Butter with its many seals curiously watching us pass in the steel blue evening light.
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Walking back over the rutted ground towards the lodge, i hear something small and squeaky which had previously been perfectly healthy get a sudden and terminal attack of Felis ratbaggus and come to a hopefully not too sticky, runny or crunchy end.
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