Village Squire, 1978-09, Page 17Loafing along
By W.J. Hart
It's my day off, see. i,'ve just come down,from the mold loft of
the Imperial Marina where 1 have my duffle and a hotplate to get
what meals I don't eat at the Seven Clams. I'm sitting in the
shade of the hull of a boat I've got to do some work on tomorrow.
Never stand when 1 can sit.
Should 1 take one of the spare boats for a bit of a sail, swim or
just ease back on my behind while I get on with this last Conrad
paperback. My eyes are fixed on a hole in my right sneaker
where my little toe is leaking out a bit. when I hear a voice call.
"Hi, Super, this your day off?"
Sure I know the voice but I look up anyway and there is Percy,
(short for Presephone, so help me God) looking about like she
always looks -flame red hair pouring out from under her yachting
cap, freckles and snub nose topping a sweat shirt three sizes too
big for her, the bottom of her shorts just showing to let you know
she ain't naked underneath. She's barefoot, and the solid legs
are well browned.
Well, maybe I should sort of backtrack a bit, see, and put you
in the picture. Quit school at sixteen, for the last ten years,
thanks to you, I've been living pretty well off "Pogey". That
ain't illegal and if that is the way you and the Feds in Ottawa like
to arrange things, why it suits me just fine. And don't give me
any of that stuff about being a leadswinger. There ain't one guy I
ever worked for that would not give me a recommend. Just to
prove I earn my bucks on the compulsory time to qualify for
'Pogey' I want you to know this is the third year hand -running
the 'Skip' - (that's my boss; runs the Imperial Marina) has had
me back; three years in a row and wants me to work for him
steady. I really like working on boats; but full time work, that's
for the birds unless you change the laws.
This big Canada of ours is sure a great land; I've worked a bit
in all ten Provinces and up Yukon way, so 1 know. But who in his
right mind wants to slug away all year if he can sit back and enjoy
being alive. She's a land fit for poets tho' I can't do any rhyming.
I can sure hear it and see it everywhere 1 go.
Well, to get on with it, the first year I came to the Imperial I
answer this ad for a handyman. I've had a lot of different jobs in
seven years so, when I see the ad, I say, "That's me".
1 like the looks of Jim "Skipper" McNeil right off and I'm glad
he feels the same. He has this thing about knowing what you are
working with so he takes me sailing and out in one of the power
boats the day before the job starts official like. Never been
around boats before but something inside clicks; seems like I'm
PG. 16. VILLAGE SQUIRE/SEPTEMBER 1978.
right at home even tho' the weather is kind of dirty. 1 give him
my best like I always do when I work for someone and stick a bit
after hours if need be. so pretty soon I'm really in there solid.
Just been working maybe a week that first year when this
redhead comes along and stands a bit to watch me scrape the
hull of an Albacore. Her head tilts over to one side. 1 remember.
it was sunny but a mean cold wind blowing on shore. so she's
wearing blue 'Sloppy Joe' sweater way too big for her with
matching slacks. They go with the blue eyes that are giving me a
hard stare.
"Skip tells me'you're one of these types that spend most of
your time drawing welfare. He also say your'a dam good man
when you do work. 1 don't get it."
She's not hurtingmy feelings. so 1 go on with the scraping.
I see her on and off all that summer. She's a bit of a loner and
from what I hear one helldammer sailer, who can outmanouver
most of the guys in the yacht club even tho she's sailing a
20 -year-old wooden hull job 'Skip' knocked together just after
the war. Family dead, she lives with a filthy rich uncle and a
bunch of servants. She sure don't put on the dog. tho, and 1 got a
hunch she sticks by the old boat deliberately. just to show up the
guys with the fancy fibreglass hulls. Sure a good boat counts,
but, as 'Skip' drilled me, handling is the thing, getting the best
out of what you have. The old Whitewater 11 was built to dust
along.
Remember one day that first summer, one of the stnartasses
came along when she was bending over tightening a stay before
taking off. Her fanny was sticking out and he had the bad
judgement to put his hand on it. 1 was too far away to hear what
he said but some of the lads gave out with the old horse laugh.
She just turned, quick like. and slugged him right on the nose.
turned back and went on with her work. Percy's a solid chunk of
a girl and I heard after the guy had to go to the dpctor.
She ribs me a lot about being a loafer that summer and
nicknamed me 'Super' after the guy who wrote the
'Autobiography of a Super -tramp'. Skip and her are real buddies
and I find myself liking her a lot more than some of the really hot
looking dolls around the Imperial. You hear a lot of guys making
out with waitresses and car -hop girls and all around summer
places. Well, it works two ways. You'd be surprised at some of
toney dames that made passes at this labouring Joe. 1 got
nothing against a well stacked dame but I don't want no
involvement with these hotpant types so 1 just grin when I'm
propositioned and take rainchecks I don't intend to cash in.