Sea Patrol (2007) s01e03 Episode Script

(THUNDER CRASHES) Can't see a thing out there.
Can't see much in here either.
Can't work out if I've got a contact or if I'm just tracking cloud or Hang on, she's gonna pitch again.
(ELECTRICITY CRACKLES) ET: We've been hit! The telegraphs are mismatched! She's not answering the helm, ma'am.
We're in danger of broaching! We're gonna tip over! Starboard 30.
Starboard 30! Come on! Come on! Rudder's locked at 10 degrees to starboard, ma'am.
Select system two.
Start both steering motors.
(Pants) No response.
And our power's going! Steering gear failure, steering gear failure.
Aft steering party, close up.
Aft steering party, close up! CHARGE ON RADIO: After steering party, closed up.
Roger.
Starboard 30.
Starboard 30! There's still no response, ma'am.
(ENGINE DIES) ET: We've lost all power.
MIKE: Nav, sitrep.
Sir, rudder's locked on 10 degrees to starboard.
If we can't hold course, I'm afraid we could broach.
Priority's to restore power, engines, then steering.
ET, get down to the engine room.
Tell Charge we need power now.
ET: Sir.
Forget that.
Get the starboard genny up.
Aft steering, sitrep! What's happening? Where's the power? Port genny's blown.
We got a control air failure.
Everything's down! Try now! (ENGINE REVS AND DIES) Again! (ENGINE REVS AND DIES) (Sighs) Come on, boys.
We need this one.
(ENGINE REVS) (ENGINE SPUTTERS TO LIFE) You little beauty.
(ELECTRICITY CRACKLES) We've got power! Let's get the old girl steady.
Starboard 30.
Starboard 30, sir! Midships, port 30.
Midships port 30! Steer 3-4-0.
Steer 3-4-0.
Course 3-4-0, sir.
Very good.
Looking a bit green around the gills there, Spider.
Scared witless, more like.
Yeah, this storm is crazy.
Never seen so much lightning.
Lucky for us Charge got the genny out, otherwise we'd be as doomed as the 'Flying Dutchman' The what? It's a ghost ship, mate.
When a ship gets taken by a storm like this, its captain and its crew are doomed to sail the seas forever.
You've heard of the 'Flying Dutchman' haven't you, Spide? Yeah.
Of course.
It's like ancient history, right? Well, there are others.
You only have to look 'em up on the Net - the 'Mary Celeste' the 'Ourang Medan' Even more recently, the, uh, 'Fantome' (Exhales deeply) Did they go down in a storm like this? Well, that's what everyone thought until the sightings started.
Seamen coming through similar storms have actually seen some of these ghost ships.
You can tell because where the sail should have been, there's just this really thin mist.
It's an omen of disaster most often seen during stormy weather.
Yeah, well I don't believe in ghosts, so, you know (Chuckles) Bridge lookout! B-B-Buff! Buff! Get up here quickly! What is it? Uh, red 1-0, far.
I think it's a ghost ship.
It's a catamaran, idiot.
Oh.
Sails are untrimmed.
Looks deserted.
You been talking to Chefo again? Nah.
It just It's just kinda spooky, that's all.
I'll report it to the captain.
If they've come through that storm, they may need assistance.
Keep a good eye on it.
Yes, Buff.
Sir, I attempted to contact the vessel.
There's no response.
Righto.
X, prepare a boarding party.
You want us to board now, sir? It's a shipping hazard.
Can't leave it careering around to hit someone else.
Sir.
Hands to boarding stations, hands to boarding stations.
KATE: Hello? Get those sails.
Hello? KATE: Is anybody there? (MUSIC PLAYS INSIDE) Is anyone on board? Is anyone there? No notes, no logs.
Nothing to indicate where the crew disappeared to, or how.
Maybe they were swept over during the storm.
The whole crew? Well, what about thieves? There doesn't appear to be anything missing, and there's a lot of expensive equipment down there.
Ma'am, look at this.
Is that blood? It could easily be an injury sustained during that storm, what with all this stuff flying about.
Where have they gone? The catamaran is registered to a Rory Kinsela, aged 40.
Left Broome on Friday, and wife reported him missing.
Was he sailing alone? Yeah.
Any contact with his wife since he left port? No, not a word, and, uh, sounds like she won't be hearing from him now.
I'm sure NAVCOM will come up with a more diplomatic way to tell her that.
Yeah, I'm sure we will.
Is that all? No, it isn't.
There are some anomalies we need to look into.
Let me know what the wife has to say.
Yes sir.
Anomalies, sir? Kinsela's been gone three days.
Why didn't he radio in? Radio went in the storm.
Well, the XO said it's still working.
Besides, the storm came up last night.
What did he do the first two days? A man goes yachting to get away from his wife.
Well, if he's gonna call her every day, he might as well stay at home.
Future Mrs Robert Dixon's gonna be one lucky girl.
(Chuckles) It appears your husband must have fallen overboard during the storm.
I'm very sorry, Mrs Kinsela.
Fallen? We believe so.
My patrol boat captain informs me that the storm came up very suddenly.
It may well be that your husband was taken by surprise.
And fallen overboard? Accidentally? Well, we we can't know for certain exactly what happened, but But he didn't jump? He didn't do it on purpose? I'm sorry? Yesterday was the anniversary of our son's his death.
A car accident two years ago.
He was six.
Rory's never been able to get past it.
And and yesterday was the anniversary? I know what you're thinking, but Rory wouldn't.
Losing our son, being left behind - he wouldn't make me go through that again.
Explains why his wife hasn't heard from him in two days.
MARSHALL: At least with her son she had a body to bury.
We'll start back.
See you in a couple of hours.
Ration packs, compliments of Chefo.
Enjoy.
Not a chance.
See you back on land.
Ma'am.
Alright, Spide, let's get this baby cranking.
Come on, mate, it's not a luxury cruise.
I want to go home.
Spider? ET, there's a life jacket missing.
If he was trying to drown himself, why would he put on a life jacket? MIKE: If Kinsela went over by accident, it must have been when the storm hit.
Sails were up.
The storm clearly took him by surprise.
He had time to grab a life jacket? That's right.
You grab your jacket first, then go for your sails.
So the wave hits and he goes over.
The storm would have hit the cat at midnight, half an hour before us.
That puts Kinsela approximately here when he goes overboard.
That would be midtide, full moon spring tides, with a max stream of two knots.
That puts him somewhere in this region.
Great, Nav.
Call ET and Spider.
Let them know what's happening.
Tell them to continue back to port.
Are we really doing this, sir? We really are.
Aye, sir.
RO, contact NAVCOM.
Request support to conduct a full-scale search for a single man overboard based on a datum 45 miles east of our present position.
Yes, sir.
Nav, take it away.
Top of the green.
Half ahead starboard.
Revolutions 5-4-0.
Steer 0-8-5.
Half ahead starboard.
Revolutions 5-4-0.
CHARGE: Sir, I'm worried about the damaged engine.
Can we get to the search area and back on the starboard engine alone? Yes, but we don't have a lot of fuel.
We've been out 10 days, and that storm sucked up a lot of juice.
How much? Full power, one engine, two days.
That's one full day for the search and another to get back to base.
I'd prefer we headed back now for repairs.
I'm sure Mr Rory Kinsela from Broome would prefer he hadn't gone overboard.
We aren't gonna leave him out there for the sake of some fuel, are we, Charge? (Sighs) These yachties should wear safety harnesses, sir.
A point you can make to him when we find him.
(Mutters) IF we find him.
X.
After you, sir.
You have a point to make about your independence, X? I have a point to make about wasting time searching for a man who has most likely killed himself.
You said he'd been out of contact for two whole days before the storm hit.
Suiciders don't use life jackets.
There's no evidence that he put one on.
The jacket could've been washed over the side.
A lot of boats aren't properly fitted out with jackets.
His wife said he'd leave a note.
Which also could've gone over.
Sir, four elephants and a giraffe could've gone over.
We'd never know.
I think we can safely not bother looking for any elephants.
The giraffe, on the other hand My point is Sir.
Suicide candidates are not necessarily thinking rationally, and neither are you.
My last XO is not on this ship for quite a few reasons, one of which was his increasing habit of leaving a large space between any sentence he happened to utter and the word 'sir' I have no question of your expertise and skill X.
But I'd suggest you pay a little more attention to your syntax.
Yes, sir.
Now, I agree, it's a long shot.
But I am not sailing back while there's a chance that man is out there, praying to God that someone has bothered to make an effort to find him.
Yes, sir.
The problem is, we don't know exactly when he went overboard.
The storm hit around midnight, raged for about three hours.
That makes our search area huge.
SWAIN: I tend to agree.
I mean, even if this guy didn't intend to drown himself, the chances of surviving the ocean in a storm like that are next to nothing.
So it's official, huh? The boss is loco, ese? Uh, ma'am.
Just discussing the pros and cons of our current situation.
So I gather.
Thank you, Swain.
However, may I suggest that since none of you are the boss, your time would be better spent preparing to assist with the search.
ALL: Yes, ma'am.
Buffer? Ma'am? When we reach the designated area, I want all hands on deck in lookout positions, binoculars up, scanning the water.
Aye, ma'am.
I'll prepare a watch rotation.
Swain, I want you standing by with first aid.
If we find this man, he's going be needing medical assistance.
I'll set up the wardroom.
Very good.
Chefo.
Yes, ma'am? You can help him.
Unless there's anything else you wanted to discuss? No, ma'am.
Chefo.
(ROPE CREAKS) (Grunts) Alright.
Let's take a squiz inside.
Should we? You want to spend the next two days on deck? I'm hungry.
Yeah, but Chefo's given us his ration packs.
Oh, I reckon we can do better than that.
(AEROPLANE ENGINE DRONES) Coastwatch.
Do you reckon they'll find him, ET? Do fish breathe air? Do they? Or does it count as air if you breathe it through your gills? Come on, Spide! Oh, gross.
We're only two miles inside the search radius, sir.
Thanks, Nav.
Curdled.
Whoa, isn't curdled milk on a ship supposed to mean bad luck? Chefo, right? Well, you can pretty much ignore everything Chefo says, with the exception of "Grub's up," of course.
Besides, it's probably more bad luck sailing a dead man's cat.
(Reads) "Coolest Dad Ever".
This boat is probably, what, five, six years old? I reckon he bought it when his son was born.
Kinsela's killed himself, hasn't he? We should have seen him by now.
Well, that's if the sharks haven't gotten to him.
Sir, would you like me to have Nav recheck her calculations? No, X, there was nothing wrong with the calculations.
Contact! Red 2-5.
Distance far.
Nav, come left, 2-4-5.
NIKKl: Roger.
Port 20 steer, 2-4-5.
You hear that? We've sighted the man.
Stand by to recover by swimmer.
BUFFER: Aye, sir.
Swimmer standing by.
(Buffer calls) Ahoy there! Is he alive? BUFFER: Yes, ma'am, he's alive.
Away, swimmer! Great work on that search plan, Nav.
Credit's yours, if I may say so, sir.
You may not.
It's a team effort.
Yes, sir.
BUFFER: Heave in on the recovery line.
Avast! Check away on the recovery line.
Sir? Sir, can you hear me? How are you feeling? He's sunburnt and dehydrated, cuts and scrapes.
He got tossed around a bit before he went over the side.
But he'll be OK? Yes, sir.
It's as you said.
The storm caught him by surprise.
He got his life jacket on.
He was trying to get to the sails when a wave took him.
RO, contact NAVCOM, inform them we're bringing in Kinsela.
Yes, sir.
KATE: Sir, I was wrong.
Thankfully.
Yeah, you were.
Good news, Charge.
We're heading back.
Yeah.
Might not make it, sir.
Port engine's still down, and now I've got an abnormal vibration in the starboard shaft.
Must've run over something in the storm.
So I need to send a swimmer down and see what the damage is.
Here? Nah.
Too much rock'n 'roll out there.
Nearest shelter, Nav? Uh Bright Island is two hours north of here at 10 knots.
Bright Island? Can we get her there, Charge? Do my best, sir.
Uh, sir, Bright Island is still a crime scene.
Well, we don't need to land her, do we, Charge? No, no.
Just need some calmer water.
OK.
Set course for Bright Island, Nav.
Aye, aye, sir.
Thank you so, so much.
We should have your husband back here by this evening.
Right? Would you mind if I wait here? I just I couldn't bear the hotel room.
No, of course.
Able.
Thank you.
Lieutenant Commander Flynn got lucky, sir.
(Clears throat) Drifting man, eight hours in the water.
Well-established datum, based on a good appraisal of wind and stream.
That's not luck.
ET: Roger that.
Over and out.
So he's alive, then? I would've lost that bet.
Fish do breathe air, ET.
Yeah, sometimes pigs fly.
Well, young Spider, you no longer need to worry about exploiting a dead man's possessions.
Now we can exploit a live man's possessions.
Are we allowed? Spider, until 10 minutes ago, Rory Kinsela was never gonna see this beer again.
Or anything else, for that matter.
So I think it's only appropriate that we celebrate his good health with a bottle of Imported.
Nice one.
We're going topside.
Are you sure it's OK? What if I call a beer issue? Can you do that? As senior member present, I just have.
For officers sailing a no-longer-dead man's vessel back to port.
Yeah, but I'm not an officer.
I'll have yours, then.
(Kinsela groans) (FOOTSTEPS APPROACH) Looks like you might have a couple of broken ribs, but there's really not much we can do about that here.
Get the doctor to check you out when we get back to base.
You bouncing around the cabin or something? (Grunts) Lucky man, surviving that storm.
(Kinsela grunts weakly) There you go.
Drink that.
Your wife will be very happy to see you, Mr Kinsela.
She's waiting at the naval base.
We'll patch through a call.
(Kinsela grunts) (Croaks) My voice is not good.
OK.
Drink up.
Do something about those lips, eh, mate? (FOOTSTEPS APPROACH) Sir, Bright Island ahead.
Recommend we close up specials and cable party.
Very good, Nav.
You might want to take a look at this, sir.
NIKKI OVER P.
A: Special sea dutymen and cable party, close up MIKE: Feds.
Looks like it, sir.
I dropped off two agents, but I can see another six.
What the hell are they doing? Breeding, sir? Maybe they found something suspicious.
Maybe they did.
Why do they need that many agents to figure it out? Lieutenant Commander Flynn.
Agent Murphy.
I gave orders that no-one was to come on the island.
It's a crime scene.
So you have found something, then? Not at all.
Then why the reinforcements? A lot of people investigating nothing.
That's Federal Police business.
I'm gonna have to ask you to leave.
Sorry, can't.
And why not? Engine repairs.
Propeller needs looking at.
Well, no need to actually land, then.
I'm testing my nav light arcs.
May have been some misalignment in the storm.
Need a line of sight ashore.
Don't you need to be alongside a wharf to do that? Got to work with what we've got.
What's your ETD? Should be gone in two hours.
(Woman yells) Murphy! Nav light arc, sir? What do you think? If I didn't know better, I would have believed you.
(FOOTSTEPS APPROACH) Rory.
Mr Kinsela.
How are you feeling? Alive.
You said that you were out at sea for two days before the storm hit.
You didn't radio your wife.
Would you like to talk to her now? (Grunts softly) (Grunts) That's OK.
You get your strength back.
The cat - what happens to that? Two of our sailors are sailing it back.
Well, can't you just put me back on it? I'm sorry, it doesn't work like that.
And they're already two hours ahead of us.
Don't worry.
They're very capable.
Your boat's in good hands.
Rest up.
(ROCK MUSIC PLAYS ON RADIO) Come on, Spider.
How long does it take to find some more biscuits? (Chuckles) He's not gonna keep them in there, is he? What? That's a lot of rice crackers.
Plus 12,950.
That equals? That's a lot.
A lot.
So, uh what do we do now? What do you mean? Well, the X hasn't mentioned anything about this money.
Which means Kinsela hasn't mentioned the money, which means this is dodgy money.
Right.
Which means it doesn't exist.
Which means no-one's gonna know if it just disappears.
Now, a young sailor like yourself, you could do a lot with $10,000.
What, 10?! Well, you're the junior.
(Sighs) What's the matter? I just don't remember reading anything about this before.
Well, in the navy values.
Shouldn't we just give it back? Well done, Spider.
(Slaps Spider) Well done.
That's exactly what we're gonna do.
We're gonna give it back.
So get on the radio, get onto 'Hammersley' You tell 'em what we've found.
Uh, Charlie 2, this is 'Alacrity' Over.
KATE ON RADIO: 'A lacrity', this is X-ray 2.
Go ahead.
BUFFER: We don't really need to be here, do we, sir? You got a problem with islands, Buffer? Just this island, sir.
Anything in particular? Oh, not really.
Just the whole dead marine biologist crime scene thing.
Come a long way from home to pick up rubbish, sir.
Haven't they? All these feds here for a week.
That's an expensive operation.
I don't get it.
What could be going on here that requires this level of interest? KATE ON RADIO: Charlie 2, this is X-ray 2.
Repairs on port engine complete.
Charge is happy to assume Reports engine is up and ready to go.
Over.
This is Charlie 2.
Roger.
MURPHY: Saw your diver come up.
Propeller all fixed, then? Just got the word.
And you solved that whole line-of-sight navigation issue? Lights are working perfectly.
What about you? Find what you were looking for? Oh, just cleaning up.
We'll be off the island by tonight.
Looks like there's nothing here to worry about after all.
Have a good trip.
What do you do when a federal agent tells you not to worry, Buff? (Chuckles) Worry like hell, sir.
KATE: Oh, sir.
ET and Spider found a briefcase full of money on the boat.
$28,000.
Lot of money for a weekend away.
Well, sir, shouldn't we at least ask Kinsela about it? It's not our business.
Sir, no-one takes that sort of money out on a boat unless they're up to something dodgy.
Perhaps he was planning to leave his wife.
Well, doesn't she have a right to know that? People break up, Kate.
I know that, sir.
X.
Some things go the way they go.
Just leave it.
Cloves? No, it's cardamon.
That'll be Chefo's Madras curry.
He's going all out.
Well, I think you'll find he wants to make up for the scratch breakfast, sir.
Is that for me? It's the Missing Persons report you wanted from the police.
Thank you.
I told you to drop it.
Sir, I If the money's dodgy, it's evidence in a police investigation, not a navy matter, is that clear? Perfectly.
Sent through a photo of Rory Kinsela.
I know what he looks like.
I don't think you do, sir.
MIKE: It's not a very good likeness, is it? Where's Rory Kinsela? He's dead.
So who are you? Steve.
Steve Jackson.
Rory's my mate, my best mate.
Well, he was.
What happened? Well, we were drinking when the storm hit.
Tried getting our act together.
I got a jacket.
He didn't.
The wave took him.
So he was washed overboard? We both were.
I tried to save him, but the waves were just enormous.
He disappeared.
So why did you tell us you were Rory Kinsela? I didn't.
You assumed.
You didn't try to correct me.
I didn't know what to say to his wife.
To Marie.
Why didn't you tell us to look for him when we picked you up? You survived.
He might have too.
Not without a jacket.
And the money? What money? The $28,000 we found in a briefcase on the boat.
That's why you wanted to be put back on, isn't it? So you could take the money and sail off.
What? Mr Jackson X.
You The police are gonna want to talk to you when we get back to port.
Sure.
So you haven't got Kinsela? MIKE: No, sir.
So now I'm gonna have to tell his wife that he's dead again.
I'm afraid so, sir.
I'll get the cops to meet you alongside, and they can work out what this Jackson's up to, alright? He's killed his mate, hasn't he? For the money.
Maybe.
Why didn't he tell us the money was his? Kinsela's not around to dispute it.
Well, then he'd have to explain what he's doing with $28,000 in cash, and this way he gets away with it.
So, what was Kinsela doing with 28,000 in cash? Well It's academic.
We're not police.
So we just let him go? What else can we do? There's no body, nothing to prove his story isn't true.
And he gets away with it.
The blood.
There was a stain on a mat outside the cabin.
Steve Jackson, he didn't have that sort of injury.
It must be Rory Kinsela's.
I'll contact ET and Spider.
I'm sure the police will want to analyse that blood.
'Alacrity' this is 'Hammersley' Over.
ET: Uh, roger that, X.
Out.
Spider? Here! Spider? Spider, we've Look at that - clean as a whistle.
(Sighs) See ya.
Hey Hey, guys, guess what Spider's just done.
Chefo, as you can see, we're playing a game here, and every time you interrupt, I lose concentration and Swaino wins.
I'm sorry, Buff.
You're gonna want to hear this.
You remember the blood you found on the catamaran? Spider found it, yeah.
Yeah.
Well, it was evidence, and Spider, the tool, just cleaned it up.
He what? Yeah.
X is fuming.
Apparently it was the only thing to prove Jackson's lying.
Good one, Spider.
Mate, glad he's in your division.
It's gonna be messy.
I'd better go.
Don't want to miss the fun.
I win, by the way.
I'm gonna kill Chefo.
(Laughs) (HORN BLARES) ET: Hear that, Spider? Yeah, it's the land approach signal.
No, that's the sound of our careers going down the toilet.
Oh, come on.
We didn't even know.
Put the fenders out.
Give me a hand? It's not that difficult, Spider.
What's this? Looks like one of the sheets from the jib.
Must have come loose during the storm.
It's stuck on something.
I think it's wrapped around the anchor line.
What the? Oh, man.
It's Kinsela, isn't it? We found your friend.
Where? Where you put him.
Caught in the ropes off the side of the boat with a knife wound in his chest.
MIKE: Jackson.
(Sighs) Steve Jackson was on the boat? MAN: Your husband didn't tell you he was taking his mate out? My husband didn't tell me a lot of things.
Not in the last two years.
Is there any reason to believe that Mr Jackson would want to hurt your husband? No, no.
Steve would walk over broken glass for Rory.
They've been friends since high school.
He was acting really strange.
Came to tell me he was taking the boat out, but he wouldn't say where or for how long, and He didn't want me on board.
But I couldn't let him go out alone, 'cause I knew it was his son's anniversary, and I thought he might be going out there to jump.
I couldn't have been more wrong.
We'd been out two nights, we were kicking back, having a few beers and he tells me that he's leaving her.
He'd cleaned out their bank account and was heading for Singapore.
I I couldn't believe that he would do that to Marie after everything that she's been through.
So I I grabbed the wheel.
He tried to stop me.
We're throwing punches, and the next thing he's lying there with a knife in him.
I I don't even know where it came from, you know? I So, what were you gonna do? You're gonna take the money, take his boat No, there was no plan.
I didn't have any time to think.
The storm was right on us.
I was washed overboard.
I thought Rory was too.
I'm sorry, I still don't understand why.
I mean, you said he was your best mate.
Because he didn't deserve her! He didn't deserve her.
(Knocks) Sir, signal just in from NAVCOM.
The police will meet us there to collect Jackson when we dock.
OK, when will that be? Uh, 30 minutes.
X, can I ask your advice? I, uh, didn't think that you would appreciate my 'independent view' sir.
Oh, this isn't about a command decision or syntax.
It's more personal.
OK.
When we dock, I suspect Marie Kinsela will want to speak with me.
If I were her, I would.
What do you think I should tell her? The truth.
All of it? Finding out later won't make it any easier.
There's no gentler option? Not from my personal point of view, sir, no.
OK.
Thanks.
Have you told Marie he was going to leave her? Well, don't, please.
She doesn't deserve to know.
Might help her to understand why you did it.
Oh, yeah, and find out what a rat her husband was? She loved him.
Have you ever been in love, Captain? There's no happy ending here, Captain.
Her husband's still dead.
Like her son.
Sir, I got a message from NAVCOM.
Wife insists on talking to you.
(CAR DOORS SLAM, ENGINE STARTS) MIKE: Thank you for your time, Mrs Kinsela, and once again, our deepest condolences.
Best mates, hey? What a mess.
Good call out there today, Mike, finding Jackson.
How's 'Hammersley' Charge will have the boys working all night.
We'll be right to sail.
I saw Greg Murphy on Bright Island.
Had a lot of feds with him.
What's going on? Listen, Mike, I'm not privy to the comings and goings of every branch of law enforcement.
Well, they must think there's something on the island that explains the death of that marine biologist a few weeks ago.
I don't know what they think, and I don't think you need to.
Sailors and conspiracy theories - they just love 'em! Well, it's only a conspiracy theory when there isn't something going on.
Mike, surely that's one thing we've learned from this mess with Rory Kinsela.
Things aren't always what they seem.
Sir.
X.
Oh, have you spoken with Marie Kinsela? I certainly have.
You did the right thing, telling her.
She deserved to know.
Even if the truth hurt her? I think sometimes not knowing hurts more.
You catching up with the team later on? Uh, no.
Just dinner.
Alone? Well, I have some reading to catch up on, while I eat.
You? Work to do.
Right.
Sir.
Kate It can be first names while we're ashore.
Yes sir.