Boarding the Vessel

My sandals hit the rough, splintered planks of a low wooden pier right above the lapping tide! Tied to an iron ring was a beat-up wooden rowboat bobbing in the water. That's a real ship right there! I gripped the thick, salty mooring rope with both hands, gave a hard heave, and hauled myself onto the gunwale. The whole boat tipped with a loud splash! Shishishi! I scrambled down to the sun-bleached floorboards, planted my feet wide to ride the swaying hull, and spotted a chipped green glass bottle tucked under the seat. Ahoy, captain on deck!