Five go dropping sinkers

Out on the water all afternoon; a fine calm day with an exceptionally high tide. 6.12m, for the record. The last of the new sinkers dropped - that’s all ten ultra heavy 700kg railway wheels and eleven of the NLB 450kg jobs. 
We always hook a rope through the chain and clamp it through a vice, undoing the winch hook in preparation for dropping a sinker. This means when in position we can just open the vice and the sinker and chain shoot to the depths. The ex-harbourgruppenfuhrer takes charge of course. I try to say as little as possible as his BP is already through the roof as soon as we cast off. On this occasion, first heavy sinker, bow well down in the water, I couldn’t help but say, “has George Brown* checked that rope?” 
Jim, would you just shut up! Eddie, undo the hook.
Bang! The boat shudders …  the rope breaks just as it takes up the tension. Hook luckily still in place. 
I didn’t need to say anything. We motored back and got a thicker rope.




* GB Ltd, marine engineers, Leith, check all our lifting gear once a year.