Sea storms weren't a regular in the Auckland Port. The water was usually calm and full with hundreds of boats, working or casual, gliding through the harbour. But when these storms do come, large wooden poles in the water known as breakwaters are used to protect the marinas.

Jessica the Paddle Tug was the oldest boat in the port, and was also the fussiest. She usually only made delivery's to the marinas and helped out the coast guard. When she awoke today, rain was pouring down over the harbour.
"Oh what rotten rain!" Jessica huffed. "My glasses will get all fogged up." She started her engine and chugged over to the tugboat dock. Grinder the Moving Gantry Crane was loading crates into trucks.
"Hello Jessie!" He smiled.
"I told you to stop calling me that!" Jessica said angrily. "Do you know where my barge is?"
"Afraid not, darling." Grinder called. "Why don't you check at the retirement home?"
"Insolent crane!" Jessica growled and she set off.

Her barge was waiting by Princess Wharf. Jessica was attached to it and she chugged slowly towards Okahu Bay Marina.
"With all this humidity I will never get to sleep tonight." Jessica sighed as she went over the low waves. It was nearly an hour when she brought to the marina.
"Hello darlings, I'm here at last." She called as she pulled up. The Okahu Bay Marina not only had breakwaters, but long lines of artificial rocks, the crosswise line even had a mini lighthouse. Avenger the Water Crane started to unload the barge.
"Hello Jessica. I'm surprised you'd even come out in this weather!" Avenger chuckled croakily.
"Well, I need to keep my spectacles sparkling!" Jessica beamed. Avenger sighed as his pistons turned his around. Some men were across the marina, waves sweeping over their legs.
"The tide's too high for the breakwaters to work!" One man sighed, rushing away from waves.
"Yeah, and those rocks won't be much use either if we get a ferry or tramp steamer." The other said, roaring over the wind. Jessica was startled.
"The marina could be destroyed!" She gasped.
"What can we do?" Avenger replied and he dropped the loads with a metallic clang.

Another wet and blustery journey back to the Port thoroughly annoyed Jessica as she pulled up to the Tugboat Pier. Grinder was now loading up Terry the Tank Engine with supplies from a nearby barge.
"You won't believe what happened!" Jessica said anxiously.
"Avenger hit your glasses!" Grinder gasped sarcastically.
"Actually, he did, but that's not the point." Jessica snapped and told her story.
"So the breakwaters are underwater?" Terry asked.
"Yes."
"And the rocks won't be able to protect the marina?" Grinder questioned.
"Yes!"
"Jessica, this can't be possible." Terry puffed.
"But it is!" Jessica huffed.
"Why don't you go rest your little head and let us handle it!" Grinder said a mocked baby tone. Jessica whistled furiously and chugged away to the container dock.

The storm began earlier than expected. Boats anchored at sea were ripped away from the moorings and were through against rocks. Anything on the docks that could fly away was put either inside a container or a metal shed. Jessica wasn't with the others at the main marina but was at Okahu Bay with Avenger.
"I still don't see why I had to come." He moaned.
"Oh be quiet you silly thing!" Jessica snapped. "I need you to drop the anchors for those." She added, indicating the line of barges trailing behind her, full of heavy loads tied down securely. The waves were very rough and Avenger kept being blown around in the wind.
"When do we go back?" Avenger roared.
"When we have saved the marina!" Jessica replied. When she came up to the crosswise line, the waves started to smash against them as if telling to go back.
"This is too dangerous!" Avenger shouted. Jessica ignored him.
"Start dropping the anchors." Jessica ordered. Suddenly, a huge wave smashed against them and pushed both tug and crane behind the barges, nearly destroying them as they hit the rocks. A bolt of lightning flashed across the sky.
"We won't survive!" Avenger yelled.
"Not if you don't believe." Jessica hissed and she started to push the barges back with all her might as the storm raged on around her.

The aftermath had left dark clouds in the sky and lots of damage to the marinas and port. Terry was having his trucks loaded up once again by Grinder.
"Do you know what happened to Jessica last night?" Terry asked.
"I haven't heard anything yet."
"Well, she and Avenger took a bunch of barges out to the Okahu Bay Marina last night and Jessica managed to prevent any damage!"
"I never knew she could do that!" Grinder gasped.
"Neither did I." Jessica clanked up next to the dock, Avenger attached to her. "So, who's the useless old tugboat now?" She smirked. Terry and Grinder exchanged dumbfounded looks and the paddle tug chugged away, laughing loudly. All the others could do was laugh as well.