"Welcome aboard!" Uncle Stu gestured them aboard Olivia with the regal air of an Admiral in Her Majesty's Royal Navy.
Teddy stepped aboard hesitantly as the boys piled over the gunwales like the Viking horde.
"Dad! Dad! You're never gonna believe this!" Joshua screamed from the enclosed cockpit. Like cockroaches on a rotting carcass the boys swarmed over the old girl. At points, it seemed like there were six or seven of them, they moved so fast.
In and out of every room, repeatedly opening and closing every hatch and cupboard—Teddy glanced up just in time to see Caleb jump straight into the forward rope locker.
"Dad! Come down here!" It was Joshua popping his head out of the hatch leading below decks. "It's like Star Wars down here!"
Lowering his head into the cabin, Teddy let out a low whistle "Star Wars bar, maybe."
The interior of the cabin had seen better days. What made Joshua think of Star Wars had Teddy baffled. Like most mid-sized vessels, it had a salon with bench seats and a dining table, gimbal stove, fridge and nav table that made Teddy lose all hope for good electronics.
Looking more closely at the nav set and radio, the only manufacturers logo he could see read: Baker Electronics. Teddy was a diving fanatic and he had owned several of his own boats and he had never even heard of Baker Electronics. In what epoch had the word "Electronics" seemed cutting edge?
Teddy moved through the cabin, glanced at the forward bunks—big enough for the boys—opened the door to the head and quickly closed it again.
"The head will need a little work." Bones looked a bit sheepish. What Teddy had just seen was more than a little work... and the smell!
Aft was a small cabin with two bunks, one against either bulkhead. The accommodations would do, but the "Electronics" were a total waste. Teddy wondered about the power plant. Tossing his mattress onto Uncle Stu's bunk, he opened the engine hatch and let out a slow whistle.
Twin Crusader 454's—Crusader engines were immediately recognizable by how uncluttered and clean they were—marine blue paint looked as though it was clean enough to fry an egg on. What Bones lacked in social grace he made up for in street smarts.
"How many horse?"
"The previous owner claimed 590 with his modifications, but there is only one way to find out!" Uncle Stu punched Joshua in the arm playfully and winked at Caleb.
When Teddy appeared topside, Caleb popped his head out of the rope locker: "Dad! There's a big gun down here!" Teddy laughed. Let the kid dream. Tomorrow, they might get their first glimpse of a completely untouched megalithic city.
Teddy would be dreaming tonight as well!