The COVID-19 & Corona free thread.

[V8Ian]

You may have crossed oceans Bob, but I crossed a river, just!
To protect the guilty I will omit dates, coordinates and non-vital facts. The town will assume the pseudonym of Riverside.
It was the sixth day following the white line and I was due for a mandated twenty-four hour break. I chose a small riverside town, that had all the facilities I required and mobile internet coverage, in which to spend my sojourn. I was totally unfamiliar with the route to the temporary destination but my calculations and those of Google maps would see me safely parked within minutes of my curfew, of 10.00 pm. There was a more direct way to Riverside that included a ferry. Towing two trailers, I was not keen to test the capacity of the vessel. Choosing the slightly longer route, I instructed Mrs Google to avoid tolls and ferries. I set the cruise control for 96 kph, cranked up the tunes and set off.
The kilometres slipped by, the sun slipped from the sky, the foliage got thicker, the roads got narrower. With no bullbar or driving lights, it became prudent to reduce the rate of progress, not wanting to upset the wildlife or future chops ar steaks, which were out in proliferation. With my main focus on suicidal animal avoidance and not missing one of the many turns Mrs Google was instructing, I didn't realise the deadline was rapidly approaching. According to the tablet, I still had 20 k to go and I would reach my destination in 70 minutes! I'd reduced my speed, but not to less than 30 kph??? Oh well, plough on, the chances of being busted on these back roads was slim.
"Take the next turn on the right." I blindly obayed, the road doubled back on itself, to a steep, narrow decent. I immediately saw a sign declaring CAUTION, FERRY AHEAD.
The ferry operator and I approached each other, quickly establishing a few facts:
1 - I was on the right road/ferry to Riverside.
2 - I had 15 minutes to make the 10 minute journey.
3 - My big truck was not going to fit on the little ferry!!!
I tried to revers back up the steep ramp but as I turned the trailers round the bend, the driving wheels lost traction. I moved forward and tried from a different angle, a number of times without joy. The ferryman, seeing my dilemma, asked what else could I try. I felt and explained to him, that the only option was to split the trailers and ferry them singley. His objection was that the abandoned trailer would block the road. The flippin' road's already flamin' blocked, I countered as calmly and politely as possible, further claiming that I could reverse the back trailer far enough to one side to alow a car access or egress; he reluctantly agreed. I hastily, fearing a change of heart, ran the combination forward, then backed it off to the side, as far as possible. With the first trailer across the river and parked safety a couple of kilometres from the ferry, I returned for the abandoned trailer. As i approached the ferry I thought about turning around and reversing onto the ferry, to save a few minutes. I decided against this brilliant idea, in case I couldn't get traction between the ferry and trailer. On what should've been the penultimate trip across the river, I noticed how untidily I had dumped the trailer. I'd left the front of the trailer about 6" too far on the road to get the prime mover past, to turn around! AGHHH! Back down the ramp, onto the ferry, cross the river, back off the ferry, turn around, back back onto the ferry, this is getting monotonous, not to mention embarrassing. I finally reunited the trailers and made a dash to Riverside thinking that the roads didn't appear wide enough to be multi-trailer appoved.
I eventually parked at midnight, unmolested by any enforcement. Apart ftom the ferry, I hadn't seen another moving vehicle in over three hours.
It's all a bit of a chuckle now, but there was nothing amusing at the time.

[4bee]

JEEEEEEEEEZZZZUUUUZZZZ Ian, that is what I call an Anecdote! Should put that down for the 'Australian Writer's Guild Gold Star Award' for the year.


I reckon it also could be made into a fillum, although it could get a bit monotonous with all the backwards & forwards of simply crossing on a Ferry.

Well done M'boy.

[4bee]

Cop out!
C'orn mate, for the benefit of all.

Well there was one life changing event a number of years ago...........

Nah, better not & I can't divulge the details, as her husband may be on this board but suffice to say I wasn't always 83.

Remember you heard it here first, but this is only between you me & the gatepost, ok?

[Epic_Dragon]

Some beautiful stories in here, thankyou for sharing and oh my the ferry crossing

I have some to share.
This one for now, isn't anything special, but being stuck at home, I like gaming. (Have so many adventures thanks to video games)
This particular game is an open world one where you can drive, fly or boat.

I have a Spitfire in it and decided to try fly inverted under the Eiffel Tower. I know in real life inverted flight was not possible with earlier Spitfires due to the carby motors (before they went injected) but video game land anything goes
Boring story but hope it brings a smile I will share a story and random fun everyday And who doesn't think of Spitfires with love?

[bob10]

Some beautiful stories in here, thankyou for sharing and oh my the ferry crossing

I have some to share.
This one for now, isn't anything special, but being stuck at home, I like gaming. (Have so many adventures thanks to video games)
This particular game is an open world one where you can drive, fly or boat.

I have a Spitfire in it and decided to try fly inverted under the Eiffel Tower. I know in real life inverted flight was not possible with earlier Spitfires due to the carby motors (before they went injected) but video game land anything goes
Boring story but hope it brings a smile I will share a story and random fun everyday And who doesn't think of Spitfires with love?

Listen to that Merlin engine roar! EDIT, Great story.

YouTube

[bob10]

You may have crossed oceans Bob, but I crossed a river, just!
To protect the guilty I will omit dates, coordinates and non-vital facts. The town will assume the pseudonym of Riverside.
It was the sixth day following the white line and I was due for a mandated twenty-four hour break. I chose a small riverside town, that had all the facilities I required and mobile internet coverage, in which to spend my sojourn. I was totally unfamiliar with the route to the temporary destination but my calculations and those of Google maps would see me safely parked within minutes of my curfew, of 10.00 pm. There was a more direct way to Riverside that included a ferry. Towing two trailers, I was not keen to test the capacity of the vessel. Choosing the slightly longer route, I instructed Mrs Google to avoid tolls and ferries. I set the cruise control for 96 kph, cranked up the tunes and set off.
The kilometres slipped by, the sun slipped from the sky, the foliage got thicker, the roads got narrower. With no bullbar or driving lights, it became prudent to reduce the rate of progress, not wanting to upset the wildlife or future chops ar steaks, which were out in proliferation. With my main focus on suicidal animal avoidance and not missing one of the many turns Mrs Google was instructing, I didn't realise the deadline was rapidly approaching. According to the tablet, I still had 20 k to go and I would reach my destination in 70 minutes! I'd reduced my speed, but not to less than 30 kph??? Oh well, plough on, the chances of being busted on these back roads was slim.
"Take the next turn on the right." I blindly obayed, the road doubled back on itself, to a steep, narrow decent. I immediately saw a sign declaring CAUTION, FERRY AHEAD.
The ferry operator and I approached each other, quickly establishing a few facts:
1 - I was on the right road/ferry to Riverside.
2 - I had 15 minutes to make the 10 minute journey.
3 - My big truck was not going to fit on the little ferry!!!
I tried to revers back up the steep ramp but as I turned the trailers round the bend, the driving wheels lost traction. I moved forward and tried from a different angle, a number of times without joy. The ferryman, seeing my dilemma, asked what else could I try. I felt and explained to him, that the only option was to split the trailers and ferry them singley. His objection was that the abandoned trailer would block the road. The flippin' road's already flamin' blocked, I countered as calmly and politely as possible, further claiming that I could reverse the back trailer far enough to one side to alow a car access or egress; he reluctantly agreed. I hastily, fearing a change of heart, ran the combination forward, then backed it off to the side, as far as possible. With the first trailer across the river and parked safety a couple of kilometres from the ferry, I returned for the abandoned trailer. As i approached the ferry I thought about turning around and reversing onto the ferry, to save a few minutes. I decided against this brilliant idea, in case I couldn't get traction between the ferry and trailer. On what should've been the penultimate trip across the river, I noticed how untidily I had dumped the trailer. I'd left the front of the trailer about 6" too far on the road to get the prime mover past, to turn around! AGHHH! Back down the ramp, onto the ferry, cross the river, back off the ferry, turn around, back back onto the ferry, this is getting monotonous, not to mention embarrassing. I finally reunited the trailers and made a dash to Riverside thinking that the roads didn't appear wide enough to be multi-trailer appoved.
I eventually parked at midnight, unmolested by any enforcement. Apart ftom the ferry, I hadn't seen another moving vehicle in over three hours.
It's all a bit of a chuckle now, but there was nothing amusing at the time.

l guess that explains Mt Barney, then.

[V8Ian]

Some beautiful stories in here, thankyou for sharing and oh my the ferry crossing

I have some to share.
This one for now, isn't anything special, but being stuck at home, I like gaming. (Have so many adventures thanks to video games)
This particular game is an open world one where you can drive, fly or boat.

I have a Spitfire in it and decided to try fly inverted under the Eiffel Tower. I know in real life inverted flight was not possible with earlier Spitfires due to the carby motors (before they went injected) but video game land anything goes
Boring story but hope it brings a smile I will share a story and random fun everyday And who doesn't think of Spitfires with love?

Obviously someone had tweaked your spitfire with injection.

[scarry]

l guess that explains Mt Barney, then.

I wouldn’t want to pull up at the Moggil ferry with Ian in front of me in his rig.
The traffic would be backed up all the way back to Brookfield while he did his thing.

Good yarn though.

I do remember seeing something similar on one of those trucking shows on the TV.

Guy got stuck in a dry riverbed out in the middle of no where,unhooked the trailers one at a time.
I seem to remember he ended camping there for the night,once he had it all sorted.

[Epic_Dragon]

It would seem so gosh though I do wish they made them sound right in the game! I don't think they even tried. Love that video Bob, one of the best sounds in the world. They sound somewhat closer in Battlefield WW2 video game.

[bob10]

Well, I thought I might ramble on about life on the ocean wave, while not as romantic as the movies make out [ I didn't see Ava Gardner once] It was certainly a busy life. Started in earnest with me on the Vampire, I'll condense it a bit, and spend some time on an incident that will stick with all of us who were there. My first job was boiler front watchkeeper in B boiler room, responsible to the PO of the watch for the efficient operation of the oil sprayers in the superheated and saturated furnaces , [ that's PO stoker code for the O/D dogsbody that cleaned the bilges, made the brews , polished the brass, emptied the rubbish, did I mention cleaned the bilges?] You get used to Eau de Furnace fuel oil after a while. The boilers carried were two Foster Wheeler twin furnace controlled superheat boilers, 640 PSI at 850 ' F, generating 225,000 lb/hr over 21,850 sq ft heating surfaces. The boiler room had one turbo alternator, four turbo fans, one evaporator
and various steam driven pumps to make it all work. As young 'tiffies we were expected to trace every pipe, every system, while off watch and present a detailed drawing in our dedicated drawing book to the Chief ERA, and the Senior engineer , and if it passed their strict perusal, to the Engineer who would pass judgement on the standard of drawings . Some young smarties thought it would save time in the bilges tracing lines if they just sneaked into the Engineers Office and copied the ships drawings. Somehow the Chief ERA knew. I don't know how, he just knew. and boy didn't I ….I mean they, cop it. In the end you knew every isolating valve, every pipe and what it was and where it went, every inch of the machinery spaces. It may seem overkill, but necessary if you were in the dark, after battle damage. A bit melodramatic but could be the difference between saving or losing the ship. As one PO Stoker said " a bad ride on a damaged ship is better than a good swim in the middle of the ocean."

I'm waxing lyrical, better cut to the chase. It was only after I progressed to the Engine room after gaining my Auxiliary Watchkeeping ticket, and Boiler ticket that I began to understand the nature of the profession I had chosen. The scaly old ERA I was teamed up with had obviously been at sea too long. He spoke to the machinery, and it spoke to him. I found that out one night when he directed me to do a set of rounds of the engine room. I thought I had done a thorough set, but he chastised me severely, and took me with him to do a ' proper ' set. Every valve was inspected for the slightest leak, [ and I mean EVERY valve]and written in the defect book if so. Every running steam pump ,fire pump, anything running was given a forensic examination. Was it running hot, any vibration, any unusual noises? Leaks ? He said I had to use my valve spanner like a stethoscope, every time I did rounds , on every running machine. This way any change in the noises could indicate a problem beginning. Then he offered me probably his best lesson. When he found a machine with a dodgy bearing or wear ring etc he would say," listen carefully, that noise is this part of the machine telling you something is wrong. The machine will talk to you , you just have to learn how to listen." [ Bloody hell, I could have been a Shipwright.] A bit long winded, Ian should never have encouraged me. Now we come to the night of

2nd to the 3rd of June, 1969. A very large SEATO exercise in the South China Sea. Vampire was part of a group of ships playing the part of the enemy. We were to attack the Task Force during the night. All of a sudden the telegraphs ordered full ahead. Very unusual in peacetime even for an exercise. Melbourne had hit the Evans, that's all we were told. It took some time to get there , and all we could do was try to find survivors in the water. I wont dwell on that, except to say two things came out of that day. On the Evans, a ladder had been worked on, and the retaining bolts hadn't been replaced. That ladder then jammed the door of a Jnr Officers mess , and all inside drowned. One slack bit of maintenance cost 7 lives. Remember the scaly old ERA ? [ do your rounds thoroughly, check everything. one small mistake can take a life, that one] I used that example when instructing fire fighting, years later. The other was more confronting. My mate was ok with it all until he saw the helicopters looking for survivors. Then he freaked out, not in a big way, but he wasn't himself. Turns out he was on Voyager when it went down, and was in the water, covered in oil when the helicopters came. The wash from the helicopters drowned men in the water, who were injured, in shock etc, and it took ages to get the message across. [ you wont find that in any official reports.] I don't think he ever got over that. Anyway enough from me.