(I have included a couple of things you could include with your post is you wished, like this title graphic and an end photo. I can also show you how to do a 'continue reading' page if you would like to save space on the blog page. Contact me if you would like me to walk  you through the process. Cheers. AT)

 “Test. Test. Test. Checking. Check. Check, over.”

George sat at the table in the trawler’s salon fiddling with his new walkie-talkie. He was a nervous man for the most part, but on the boat the anxiety of his life as an insurance salesman was left back at port. However, when it came to things technical, the nervousness could return very quickly.

The handset crackled to life. “George? Over?” his wife Alice could be heard, thin and a bit tinny. She was above him, on the bridge

“Yes, just a minute,” George fiddled with the squelch button. “Check. Check, one two… I don’t know. It doesn’t seem to be sending. I can hear you, but you can’t hear me. I think.  Can you? Can you hear me?”

Alice cut in. “Are you sure we have them on the same frequency?”

“Well, yes, of course they’re on the same frequency, Alice. Anything, now? Over?”

“What happens when I press the call button,” Alice asked at the same time as George was saying the same thing.

George’s incoming call alarm sounded. “It rings,” he said. “Over.”

“What?” Alice asked.

“What?” said George.

Alice could be heard moving around up top.

“You go…” she paused. “Over.”

“I said, the call bloop-bloop thingy happens, but I can't get a voice connection. Over.”

Alice replied with the predicable “What? Over?”

George sighed and put the walkie talkie down and went to the galley door and shouted out. “Look, there's no point in my keep saying 'over' if you can't hear me. just come inside for a minute, will you?”

A cheery call came down from above. “Roger that!”

George returned to the inviting, warmly decorated boat interior. He took out the manual and once again read the instructions. A moment later, Alice entered the salon, dressed in her finest boating attire. A scarf and blue and white jacket and crisp white shorts. She always wore something nice underway.

“Is it because they’re different models?” she volunteered, shyly.

George didn’t look up. They were different models because he had dropped his overboard… twice. He was fed up with this whole endeavour. He replied to her with a rather snippy tone which he immediately regretted. “That doesn't make any difference. It's the frequency that matters. Getting on the same frequency.”

Alice was a little sad about this whole situation. “You can say that again,” she replied, softly. “How many handsets does that make that you’ve dropped overboard?”

 Continue Reading...