Now to reset our ECDIS/Iron mike. B.E.L.F.A.S.T....press go. And thats it! Paddy land for crimbo it is then.
I trust crew mate will say thank you to Tmac for what he has done for us, With of course the customary bottle in hand.
Mr Varley would you please inform Falmouth docks that we will not be needing their drydock. Thank you.
Hmmmm revs have increased! ES must have drawn a new shovel from the stores. Think them two might just be on a promise in Belfast. we are making 25 knots now.

Watched a C4 programme about the Titanic this evening and there was a great shortage of young, handsome, local experts giving knowledgeable opinion. Will send a strongly worded letter to Edwin Poots.
Signed,
Disgusted Kelly's Cellars.

BB i'm taking a Watch to ease your burden and perhaps add to your anxiety.

Pilot away? H fleg down. Full Ahead both.
As she goes Cox'n? 207 Sir. Steer 210. Aye, Aye Sir.

Ring FAOP. Farmer, Tea and Hob Nobs please. Aye, Aye Sir.
Cox'n tell Mr Mundrabilla he can blow tubes if he's arsed, if not we'll log it anyway.

This is the life.

Had our newest ship handler remembered to drop the pirate instead of asking after him in an idle log book entry I might bother to do that. As it is he can take the message with him when he flies back from Belfast.

Now that ES has elevated himself several decks it seems that I can do as I like when I like down here (until ES gets caught out and is forced to return that is).
I will blow tubes only when those above me have their whites, jocks and socks hanging on the aerials to dry.
So there. :curtain_call:

Why am I being victimised? The only articles of the skiddie, occifer type boiler suitery or tropical uniform variety on the aerials are mine (or perhaps those of the new makey learny I was promised).

I need not tell you what will happen to your Christmas telephone call if so much as a smut gets on them from down below. As for your shovel. Another guess and you'll be reaching for Vaseline's bumoilio.

Bit of hush on the Bridge lads, I'm trying to work out these stars. Old Moore advises using Rigel, Pollux and Deneb but I'm buggered if I can find Pollux so I'll use Aldebaran instead.
Bit of a cocked hat but as we're not in the Malacca Straits its ok.
Farmer I'd kill for a pot of tea and a Bakewell Tart.
Cox'n tell Mr Mundrabilla he can start the changeover to HFO 0.5 sulphur and I'll put it in the Log.
Listen up everybody, I want my Watch to steam further on less fuel than the other lazy sods on the Bridge.

FFS a slice of Bakewell Tart. Jesus wept.

A slice of bakewell tart it is, sir! a bakewlll tart of wheel 'on'.

(But you ain't going to win the Priz de Goblin for fuel economy with helm orders like that. Better let the ECDIS take us through without connecting it to your celestially cocked-up millinery)

Just had a look at the map thingy we are making good progress we could well be docking 19th December.

We won't fall off the edge of the map thingy will we?

Helmsman steer 280, thats SW before decimalisation. Don't worry about falling off the edge I'll stick to the blue bits on the map and anyways we will hear a waterfally kind of a noise if we get too close.
Pull yourself together Mr M or you'll feature in the Bible, KJV, *Ye of little faith*.

His late majesty's tale seems a little conflated when it comes to ships and the sea. There are careless Ethiopians and governors that, apparently, may not list when the ship does.

As for E-S's cadet bridge time I can only think he has mistaken a non-condensing uptake temperature (on the very uneconomic side) with a compass rose read arseways backwards.

sorry guys but its all been happening here,
Lost my brother on the 8th and the internet. just got the net back today.
Jim passed away after a long illness bravely fought . He spent many years at sea on many ships and was a fine AB.

Darken ship at 8 bells in memory of Sir Williams brother. Safely across the bar, RIP.

I have passed on my condolences on another thread and will fall in line with Tmac's ceremonial to show our respect. RIP.

only 5 days to Christmas lay up guys. Santa not coming to me this year as he's been reading my FB pages. Had to happen i suppose.

Day dawns bright and clear. Bosun take a round turn and two half hitches on the Port thingy and we will gain half an knot and if we catch the tide in Pentland we can be in Belfast before closing time in the Crown. A gentile public house well suited to our sort.
QM give the cook a bell and tell him, nicely, I would like fried egg and fadge soonest. We must put a lining on our tummys. Looking out the window is a grand job and I have refined and tuned the Rules of the Road down to two; size matters and never enter a separation scheme as it only slows you down.
Belfast the city of my dreams, Van Morrison is in the Europa and May McFettridge is staring in the Panto. Happy days.

But is it a place to welcome a prod gentile or one that's wholly cathodic?

(Perchance to dream? Well there is a rub indeed, Mistress May's panto liners on no).

You will be fine shipmate, we hate everyone equally so you will fit right in. :chuckle: If ES is going to the Crown Liquor Saloon check his pockets because at those prices he is using somebodies credit card. :cloud: In Du Barry's you get a better class of scruff :kiss:

4 of us dined in the Crown last Monday and the Christmas lunch was average to poor. National Trust my bottom.
Would have done better in Du Barry's, main courses similar but a better class of Tart. I know you will agree.

Hmmmm southern Ireland up ahead according to long range radar. we have done well, I can almost smell the Guinness brewing.
3 days to go so well up on time.. we got the dry dock till January 5th after which we will move ship to a berth for 3 days for Bunkering, stores and supplies.

Do they have lemon (tart)?

A good sign that we are not going into layup?

Long range radar? We either have acquired Woodpecker or the bridge is navigating from the flat earthers' almanac.

Long Range yes.
We have Decca radar not a back street abortion of a Marconi badged Raymarc excuse.

Tmax wake up and put much Adblue in the oily beast. That Ozzie Guy down the stokehold swears by it but uncertain whether to sip it or rub it into your dangly bits.
The Agent in Belfast has been ordered to have 200 forty gallon drums on the quay wall on arrival.

Wouldn't put Adblue in my babbies, that stuff is like making love in a canoe ******* close to water. Anyhoo I have an exclusive deal with Esso (great backhanders) and prefer TSR as an additive. As the advertising says "all the dirt all the shit Esso cleans it every bit"

Regarding the tarts in Du Barry's I agree with you there but sometimes you can come across (see what I did there) a crusty old one especially if you are wearing your beer goggles.

Belfast Dock here we come, just keep the pointy bit at the front straight at the door and don't forget to stop on the wooden bits on the floor. I never knew our Navigator was called Decca, I've been calling her Loran since rescuing her from Varleys evil clutches.

Radiolocator, good Raymarc, not. (a Marconi Mantra, Ho, Ho - little corporate joke to show I know MiMco went down the tubes along with many of the staff pensions. All same MGY).

However even the miraculous SharpEye must obey the range equation. If it's not a woodpecker what's been eating all my peanuts?

And by the by SCR is for Silicon Controlled Rectifier. A better acronym would CPU (Canned Piss for Uptakes).

Good progress, we will be docking in the morning prior to moving into the dry dock.
Bunkers, stores and provisions will be loaded after we leave the dry-dock and moor near that nice little pub that ES knows about. anyone wishing to experience the local culture then Tmac will tell you where to go, (often tells me where to go)

I think mooring-up near a pub that E-S does not know of might be a more salubrious way of spending Christmas.

Or a public house that does not know me.

No such place exists on this planet. :quill: you had a season ticket for The Rising Tide :pint::pint::pint:

reduce speed to 5 knots, Pilot will board Starboard side.
Tide just right for us so we can enter dry dock soon as we are there.
Steward! Bottle for the Pilot please.

Bottle of vimto for the Pilot, the scruffy bugger. Lets go to the lead in jetty to sort out a few fundamentals before entry, I don't trust the, we built the Titanic, attitude of these dockyard mateys . Too clever by half.
Show the Port Chaplin the short route to the Smokeroom, Rev Kennedy and us go back a long way. It could be a long lunch today. Colin Hall-Thompson is also on the VVIP list.

Attention all crew type persons :-

Hello, HELLO !!! feck sake is this macordiaphone on or has Varley taken the hump again and shorted out the power. :bad_mad:

Before I get pissed and forget, I want to wish all my shipmates a very Happy Christmas and the very best New Year to one and all, including your families. :kiss:

OK I know it's a tad early but when the falling down water starts flowing I'd only forget, I always talk rubbish when I'm pissed. :pint:

Take care of yourselves, the site and the old ship would not be the same without you, we are a fine bunch and I am delighted to call every single one of you my friend.

A fine one, you, to call me a humptie-back'd shorty. It's not elbow grease you'll be needing as it's not your elbow up which I will be shoving that VHF handset you are trying to use for the talkback.

However it is probably not too early to wish ourselves the merry-merry as I had a drop or two of its juices last night. Stuffing and cranberry sauce made and only need de-frosting. Ham is soaking in apple juice and I am off to make the bread for the bread sauce. Turkey should be alongside Thursday and have lady helper coming-in to make preparations Friday before going out to dine at friend's 40th. Hopefully back undamaged to feed five on the day.

To you and yours. All the best for now and 2022 and may Covid never be with you.

we are inside the dock and being held central. The caisson is in and pumping out has started.
Shore supply cable is connected. you can knock it all off down there Tmac thank you.
Gangway will be in position soon as she is on the Blocks.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New year Everyone..

What careless clod of a navigator forgot to cage the gyro? I found it scratching at the cabin door after lights out demanding to snuggle up in my bunk. Tiddles didn't take kindly to that and it's not making itself any more popular by trying to muscle in on her food. Someone will have to be detailed to take it walkies or get it back in the cage. I cannot oblige on account of Arthur Rightus.

Fires are out and ash and clinker will be dumped overboard into the dock when no-one is looking. They will never work out from whence it came! Nuclear will augment shore to provide power for Christmas Dinner.

2021 has been a difficult year for the world but very many thanks to all aboard the GD for making a landlubber stoker from the Colonies welcome on board. It has been a lot of mature, albeit often stupid, fun. :jester:

Best wishes for Christmas and 2022.

Stay safe, take care and we will see where the New Year takes the GD. We might even get some more crew members.:yawn: