 |
| Arrival in America July 4th, 1976 |
|
Chapter 1
“Land Ho!”
From the front of the sailboat, I peered into the dense fog hoping to be the first to see land. My brother Stuart and I had a competition to see who would be the first to shout land ho! We pretended we were pirates on a sailing ship returning from some exciting adventure on distant islands.
I wanted to be first to see a new land but the fog was so thick I couldn’t even see Mom or Dad watching us from the pilothouse at the back of the boat. When fog was as thick as this we had to go slowly. Things like buoys, docks and other boats could appear out of nowhere which could cause great damage to the boat.
It was quiet except for the low throb of the engine and the slapping of the waves against the side of the hull.
Suddenly a bird called out, breaking the silence. There’s an old sailor’s tale that birds are a sign that land may be nearby.
I listened for more sounds.
Out of the cold gray air, the booming sound of a foghorn vibrated across the calm water. It was from a lighthouse on the coast of the United States of America. "Land Ho!" I cried pointing to the faint outline of the rocky shore that was appearing before us.
"Land Ho!”
|
 |
| Captain Dad |
|
Chapter Four
Big Waves, Small Stomach
After a month of getting Xlendi ready for sea, the big day finally arrived.
Dad checked the weather forecast, looking for a break in the bad weather we’d been having.
“Tomorrow’s the day”, he said, peering out at a sky full of rain. It didn’t look promising to me, but I trusted Dad.
The boat was all set to go. The sails were ready, the decks were clear and all the food and water we would need was on board. Our cat, Sunshine, was making himself at home in a small corner of the pilothouse. He was a black cat, considered lucky in England. On this voyage we would need all the luck we could get.
The next dawn was cold and damp, but no rain. The anchor was pulled up on its rope and chain from the bottom of the harbor and stowed. We motored out of the harbor, sliding past the other boats in the early light of a new day.
After we cleared the headlands, I began to notice that the swell of the waves was larger and the wind more brisk. Dad was steering in the cockpit and Mom went up on deck to hoist the sails. Stuart and I watched her with Dad from the snug pilothouse.
Like a puppy unleashed, Xlendi bounded across the waves. Faster and faster we went, slicing through the water sailing towards the open sea. With the engine turned off we could hear the slap of the waves against the wooden hull and the wind whistling in the rigging.
Everyone was thrilled to be on our way. This was to be the adventure of a lifetime!
For me that great excitement only lasted a little while.
|
 |
| Hurricane Force Winds |
|
Chapter Seven
Hurricane Force Winds!
While we were still in the harbor at Santa Cruz, the weather changed with the appearance of high cirrus clouds.
Dad knew this was unusual for this part of the world. Cirrus clouds usually precede strong winds. He began to listen to the weather reports, watch the sky and talk to people on the other cruising boats.
Throughout the afternoon the wind increased. At sunset, the wind was no longer gusting. It had turned wild.
People on boats in the harbor struggled to set extra anchors so they would not drag towards other boats or the beach. The wind was so strong that it became unsafe to go up on deck without being attached to a lifeline. The weather forecast was calling for wind gusts in excess of 125 mph. It would be the very worst kind of storm.
The sky became darker and the wind speed rose. Mom and Dad had prepared Xlendi for the approaching danger. The engine was running in neutral gear, the sails were stowed tightly and everything below decks was put in cupboards.
Mom and Dad were on the deck making a last check, when a loud “bang” was heard from the front of the boat.
“This is it,” yelled Dad, racing toward the cockpit. Our anchor chain had snapped! Xlendi was loose and heading for the beach!
Using full engine power, Dad was able to bring the front of the boat up into the wind. We were hit with a whiteout. This happens when the wind and rain become so heavy that they mix, bringing visibility to zero. We could just barely see the front of the boat.
The wind was shrieking. Stuart and I had on life vests and were huddled with Mom in a corner of the cockpit.
Dad had told us we couldn’t go down into the cabin. If the boat was thrown ashore or turned over, we would not be able to get out and we would drown. Our cat, Sunshine, was down below. He wouldn’t stay in the cockpit. We could hear him howling, even with the noise of the wind.
Suddenly, a white sailboat appeared in front of us! It was our friends’ sailboat, Sumala. We were heading straight for her!
|
 |
| Sunshine swimming! |
|
Chapter 10
The Feather Game
Sunshine and I played a game with a feather. I had found it on the beach
in La Palma and took it back to the boat. It was a big white gull feather, strong
enough to take rough play. I would hold it up in the air and Sunshine would
jump for it, dancing on his hind legs and grabbing it with his front paws.
During one of these games, he stepped backward through the guardrail and
fell into the water with a loud splash.
Yelling for Dad to turn the boat around, I kept one eye on Sunshine’s
little head bobbing in the murky water and the other on the crocodiles lying
in the sun on the banks.
“Hurry, Dad”, I screamed!
He swung the steering wheel hard over and the boat began to turn in a
wide circle.
Alerted by Sunshine’s swimming, a large crocodile slid into the water.
“Dad!!” I pointed towards the shore and the disappearing tail of the
crocodile.
“Watch out for the dinghy!” I shouted.
I saw that the dinghy trailing behind Xlendi on its long line was on a
collision course with Sunshine. He continued to paw frantically at the surface
of the water.
The dinghy passed right over Sunshine’s head as it followed behind the
boat. Much to our relief he reappeared on the other side.
We were so afraid that we wouldn’t get to him in time. Dad positioned
Xlendi alongside Sunshine and with one scoop grabbed him by the back of
the neck and pulled him out of the water.
Looking towards the direction of the crocodile, I could see the top of
his head with his long snout and big eyes watching the events. No cat snack
for him today.
|
|
