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23 April 2016

T Is For Toe Rail | Nancy Drew Investigates {A To Z Challenge}


During April, we're participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. Every day (except Sundays), we'll be doing an alphabet themed post starting with "A is for Anchor" and ending with "Z is for Zodiac." Each post is an installment of "Nancy Drew Investigates the Case of the Missing Anchor" - so you may want to read the posts from the beginning, in order to follow along with the story (click here for the first post and here for an index of all the posts). At the end of each post, you'll also find some random thoughts on the day's particular topic. So, if Nancy isn't your thing, feel free to skip the story and go straight to the end.   

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When we last left you, Bess repaired the torn Q flag on Shelley's Sailrite sewing machine, while Nancy told George how critical it was that she find Captain Gus's list of stolen goods in order to crack the case.

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After quickly finishing their meal at the barbeque, Ned and Nancy walked along the beach towards the docks, where various sailboats were tied up in slips. They seemed like an ordinary young couple out for a pleasant stroll, but Nancy wasn’t any ordinary teenage girl. She was on the lookout for the boat she suspected was being used by the gang of thieves led by Captain Gus.

“Ned, isn’t that her over there?” Nancy pointed to the end of the dock where a white ketch with red racing stripes was moored. On the side of the boat, she could make out the name, Party Palace, underneath a distinctive dolphin logo.

“Yes, that’s her all right,” said Ned. “Let’s take a look.”

They approached the boat cautiously and called out, “Is anyone aboard?” When no one answered, Nancy peered in the port lights along the side of the boat. “There doesn’t appear to be anyone on board. Why don’t you stand watch and I’ll sneak aboard. We just have to find that list of stolen goods! It’s the proof we need to put an end to this dastardly racket.”

Ned walked down to the end of the dock to stand guard, while Nancy climbed over the lifelines and onto the deck. She peeked inside the cockpit and noticed that the washboards weren’t locked. Walking out to the bow of the boat, Nancy whispered loudly to Ned. “I’m going to go down below and see if I can find anything.” Ned nodded at Nancy and turned back around to keep lookout.

Nancy took out the washboards, climbed down the companionway and put the washboards back in place so that no one would know that someone was on board. As she looked around the spacious salon, she noticed dirty clothes, blankets and dishes scattered everywhere. Hmm, Nancy thought to herself, not only are they thieves, but they’re also slobs. Nancy thought to herself that Hannah Gruen, the Drew's housekeeper, would have a fit if she saw the state of this boat.

Nancy started poking around the salon, opening up cupboards and lifting up piles of clothes off of the settee. As she was starting to think that she wasn’t going to find anything, she heard two voices on deck.
“Ouch!” a man cried out. “I stubbed my toe on the toe rail.”

“Pipe down Pete,” another man said. “We don’t want anyone to hear us.”

Nancy froze. She wondered if Pete was the same man who was Captain Gus’s nephew and was selling stolen nautical equipment. And who was that other man? His voice sounded so familiar to Nancy, but she couldn’t quite place it.

Tune in on Monday for the next installment of Nancy Drew Investigates – U is for Underway.

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The toe rail on our boat is that piece of metal you see with the pieces of blue tape on it and holes cut along it. You can see where a stanchion is attached to the toe rail. That's the pointy thing sticking straight up, desperately in need of a good polish. The blue tape is to show the Travelift operators where to put the straps when they lift our boat out of the water so that they don't damage anything. Probably more than you wanted to know.

Boats are a minefield. So many sharp, pointy things sticking up all over the place just waiting for you to trip over them and stub your toe. Getting from the rear of the boat to the front of the boat is like running an obstacle course. You have to bend, duck, dive and do yoga moves to make your way. Sooner or later, the toe rail is going to do you in. It's called a toe rail for a reason. It's after your toes.

Of course, sensible people wear shoes. We're not sensible. Scott always sails barefoot and I sometimes do as well. Did you ever wonder why sailors curse so much? That's because they're constantly stubbing their toes. Did you ever wonder why sailors drink so much rum? That's because their toes hurt and it's the only way to numb the pain.

Why do toes hurt so much when you stub them? When's the last time you stubbed yours?

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38 comments:

  1. I was always very agile, and barefoot, until a back injury turned me into a klutz. I can stub my toe on anything larger than a paper clip. Closed-toe shoes all the time.

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  2. A boating friend and I compare our bruises a lot. Where did this one come from? I don't know! They just appear! One time, I dropped a table leg on my toe and uttered a war cry so loud a neighbor 6 boats down ran over to see if I was OK! Just rum wasn't going to cut that, time for a medicinal Long Island Ice Tea. - Lucy

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  3. Sailing barefoot--that sounds pretty freeing! I could see that. It's like hanging out by the pool. You don't wear shoes!

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    1. Exactly - sometimes it can be really chilled out being on a boat.

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  4. When we were living on the boat, we stubbed our toes (and banged our heads) all the time. Many "boat bites" were collected and to this day, we each still have a nail that refuses to grow back and a couple of scars!

    Liesbet @ Roaming About – A Life Less Ordinary

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    1. I just banged my head this morning. I'm expecting a lovely bruise on my forehead now.

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  5. Oh no is Nancy about to get caught on a boat she shouldn't be on. It appears that way.

    I wear boat shoes when I work our boat. I can't tell you how many times I've said naughty words when hurting myself trying to do something on our boat.

    Have a fabulous day. See you Monday. ☺

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    1. Nancy always finds herself in dangerous scraps, doesn't she.

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  6. David's the klutz around here but, funnily enough, I'm the one always breaking their toes. The latest was when we were camping at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument last month. I was wearing flip-flops and snagged my little toe on a tent stake. It was swollen and purple but probably would have been fine if I hadn't gone hiking the next day. I'm not sure what I did, but it still isn't 100%.

    Cheers, Stephanie

    http://www.svcambria.com/2016/04/travellers-who-sail-or-sailors-who.html

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  7. That Nancy - she sure does know how to get herself into tough situations. Now how is she going to get out of this one!

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    1. Somehow, I think she'll get out of it. Of course, I haven't written Z yet, so maybe this time she won't

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  8. Stubbed my toes this morning, before coffee, which made me all the more annoyed. Two things I hate to bump- Toes and head. Both are grumpy things.

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    1. Before coffee! That's just not fair. I think I'd just go back to bed.

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  9. OH NO, Nancy is in trouble...AND we have to wait till Monday to find out what's next! Cruel, very cruel, ;-)

    When the boat was new (to us), I was advised to always wear shoes to protect my toes. Of course I didn't , and stubbed my toes bad, they were all purple, and hurt. I had to hide them from DH for quite a while in order not to get a lecture, or an "I told you so". Later I admitted it, and we got a good laugh out of it.

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  10. Because I always walk around barefoot, I am a chronic toe-stubber. You'd think I'd learn but at this age it isn't likely.

    @Kathleen01930
    Meet My Imaginary Friends
    #AtoZchallenge

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    1. I didn't used to be a big barefoot person, but now I rarely where closed shoes.

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  11. Hahahahahahaha... Love the explanation of all that rum-drinking :D And yes, the toe rail (which I didn't know was called that... Oh, the irony) has been the subject of many a curse of mine. Why, indeed, does a stubbed toe hurt so much? There's this mini step (just over an inch high) at the threshold of our bedroom, and when we first moved into this house we stubbed our toes on it every single time. It took about a year before we could pronounce ourselves cured of that particular stupidity :D

    Happy A2Z day off tomorrow!
    Guilie @ Life In Dogs (and member of co-host Damyanti's team, D's Company )

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    1. I've got to duck down to get to our aft cabin/bedroom. After all this time doing that you'd think I'd have it down. But, no, hit my head this morning

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  12. I really enjoyed your description of toe rails 😁 I don't sail but always wanted to, maybe one day I'll also be a proud owner of a busted toe lol

    Andrea from Music & Words blog
    Volunteer in Damyanti's D Company #atozchallenge

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  13. Ha, ha! Talk about toes. I dropped a bottle on one of mine, and then I stubbed it. I just had the toenail on the big toe of my right foot taken off and it was not a pleasant experience. Horrible actually. Stubbing it tore it away from the skin and hurt like hell. Went in to find out why it hurt so bad and the doctor started cutting on it, no numbing. He's going on and on about how much pus is shooting out of it with each clip of the scissors and I'm desperately trying not to scream at the top of my lungs, but gesticulating wildly my discomfort (my hell) He finally notices and stops. "Does that hurt," he says with disbelief. My whole body is flushed and shaking like a leaf, I'm soaking wet with sweat, and and he says. "I can't believe that hurt. I should have used Novocaine."
    Duh!!!
    So he gets the needle filled with Novocaine, and four punctures, more pain filled gesticulations, okay a few cuss words, and five minutes later the toe is numb. He yanks the rest of the nail off, and bandages it while continuing to apologize for the torture, and he keeps repeating. "I can't believe that hurt." Of course I'm apologizing profusely because it did. Idiot!
    Meanwhile, I'm completely whipped. I feel as though I've been zapped, wrapped, and hung out to dry in death valley. I finally limp out, but barely get out the door of the clinic when I feel this warm puddle in my shoe, look down, and see blood everywhere. Oops, I thought he knew I was on blood thinners. Anyway, another trip back inside. Damn!
    So now I'm limping around my house, staying as far away from the furniture as I can, so this thing heals before I do more damage. Ever try sleeping with your toe out from under the covers because anything touching it sends you into convulsions?
    Okay, sorry, but you asked! :)
    My sons have pormised to by me steel toed tennis shoes!

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    1. Oh my - that is a heck of a story! I can see why your boys are getting you steel toed shoes :-) I hope it's on the mend now.

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  14. Wait! Where the heck is Ned? I do hope nothing untoward has happened to him. I stub my toes so often when I don't wear shoes that I just ignore it for the most part.

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    1. Check out Monday post to see what happened to him :-)

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  15. It's too cold where we sail to even consider going shoeless, but I'm hoping to test bare toes this summer as we head down to the Med ! I'll probably have a good old pair of crocs handy in the cockpit in case I need to roam around the deck where all the sharp bits are.

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    1. For some reason I find crocs uncomfortable. Shame as they're great for water activities

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  16. I'm so nervous that this could end badly for Nancy!

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  17. I have end-stage arthritis in one of my big toes. About a month ago I stubbed it on a chair leg while walking barefoot in the house. It is still causing me pain.

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    1. Ugh. Sorry to hear about that. Doesn't sound like fun.

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  18. Ooh, Nancy had better be careful! I have no idea why toes hurt so much when you stub them, but I know I swear when I do it :) The last time was when I somehow walked into a chair leg.
    Tasha
    Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)

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    1. I don't swear often, but tie stubbing brings that side out :-)

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  19. I've almost broken my own toes a time or three on the coffee table. Funny, because it's always in the same place; you think I'd learn not to do that, wouldn't you? No idea why it hurts so bad.

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    1. I'm always bumping into the exact same things. Like you, I wonder why I never learn.

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