Last Friday while going out the Fremantle port with the Hauers on a private
boat we watched the training vessel STS Leeuwin coming in. Most of the crew
were up-top - on the masts at various points. We wave enthusiastically at
them to see who were brave enough to let one arm go :-) It certainly looked
a bit windy up high .. you would ever catch me up there!

Anyhow, a funny thing happened in the weekend. A twilight wedding was held
on the vessel. A 2 hour return trip from Freo to Rottnest was on the cards.
The guests were given seasickness tablets with their service booklets and
boarded while the wedding party were rushed all over town having their
photos taken after a long lunch.

They were running behind schedule by the time they arrived at the dock so
it was a quick exit from the limo to board the boat. The wedding ceremony
began. The theme song from the Titanic was played on flute & clarinet ..
and a solo bagpipe performance wound things up. When the Minister
pronounced them Man & Wife the ship's cannon went off & some brave soul
atop the tallest mast dropped rose petals.

However, as soon as they reached midway to Rottnest certain members of the
wedding party started to feel sick as it gets a little rougher out here ..
things really begin to sway! Imagine the Bride, with veil flapping in the
breeze, and the bride's mother hanging over the sides emptying their guts
out. Poor things!

How do I know all this ... one of my friends was in the volunteer crew.
Even if they could have dropped the crook gals off on Rottnest Island there
was no ferry back till the next day  ... and the bride would have missed
the party afterwards - cutting of the cake, honeymoon send-off, etc. Wotsa
honeymoon without your honey eh ;-))
Viv