Afloat in a boat

The drone of the skiboats leaving the slipway on the other side of the island roused me from uneasy slumber at 4.30. The rooster has gone and I had become accustomed to the early wake up call, so it's not unusual for me to be awake at that time without opening my eyes. But this morning a pink glow lured me out onto the balcony and I was richly rewarded by a gentle pink-tinged sunrise with accompanying flocks of sacred ibis crossing over from Hout Bay to forage along the shoreline near the lighthouse.

The sea has been unusually flat for a while with westerly breezes keeping us cool and the onshore drift brought the acrid scent of engine fumes across the water, mingling with the salty, kelpy, fishy smell of the sea.
It took me back to times when we used to go crayfishing on such still days. After dropping the nets, we would idle in neutral in case a rogue swell caught us unawares and in no time at all, those with no sea legs would be hurling over the side, spreading lokaas to attract Hottentot for a little fishing. Always greeted with much hilarity by those of us with stronger stomachs! Then the engines would be stilled, and we would bob quietly on the sea, enjoying the intense silence that can be found away from land, interrupted only by the soft lapping of tiny waves on the bow.
All those memories just from the whiff of engine fumes!