Chapter 1

John Walter (JW) and Cynthia Mae (Cyn) Flintkote motored out of Dunedin, New Zealand, headed, roundabout, for Japan. JW was planing on hiring crew in Auckland... Sailbait having been rigged single by his sister, Surprise. At the very last possible moment, Cyn went on board and sailed as crew.

“I’m bored, John. You cannot imagine. Stay with Surprise I will not. She’s such a ... Goody Two-Shoes. You wouldn’t have been gone a second and she would have been giving me ... ME! ... the Mom look. I’d rather be with you. At least, you don’t judge me.” But ... in her mind ... Cyn thought ... And hung like a horse. She chuckled.

Sailbait, a New Zealand designed 48 monohull, was built in New Zealand, by New Zealanders, for New Zealand waters. Tough, strong, open ocean seaworthy and simple. Nothing fancy. A boat for use not for idling about the harbour. A boat a man can trust in the “Roaring Forties.” A boat that makes a man glad to be alive ... and stay that way.

At the end of The Mole, Cyn asked, “Which way, JW?”

“I planned on north, I was going to pick up crew in Auck.” Now I’ll head south to give me a better angle for Brisbane.”

“Not Sydney?”

“We’ve been there, Cynthia. That’s the biggest reason I didn’t want to consider Auckland. We’ve just come from there.”

“Good ... I really didn’t want to backtrack. South works for me.”

“We’ll stop at Bluff to provision and pump-out. Good of you to come Cynthia.”

Radar alarm programmed, Auto-helm set, with John minding the store, Cyn took off to the bow where she planned to all-over tan. Even though it was chill this far south she stripped off, pulled a flat lounger out and slathered up.

“John?” she hollered. “Come do my back.”

He went forward. He was dressed for the run. Mustang Automatic Inflatable DeckVest™ 5D with Harness over their Classic Bomber Flotation Jacket. He was clipped to the safety line with an 8 foot tether.

“Cynthia-mae! You’ll freeze to death. Get dressed. Get your gear on. You know how long it takes to do a man overboard. I’ll be glad to oil you up after we get to warmer latitudes.”

She rolled over ... her nipples were like spikes, they were so cold.

“You’re right, it’s too damn cold. I’m going to make lunch.”

She put away the lounge and dressed. Going below, she put on a wind breaker and started rummaging in the galley.

From Bluff to Brisbane... 1464 miles. At hull speed 9.4 knots... 6 days, 12 hours ... if the Sailbait could maintain hull speed for six and a half days. Probably not. Every loss of a knot added a day to the sail. A great deal would depend on the weather.

John had planned a solo run to Auckland. A minimum of 3 days 6 hours. Pick up at least one crew and head to Bris. That meant slowing down at night, sleeping in the cockpit. eating MRE’s and depending on the radar and auto-pilot. With Cyn along he must be able to depend on her to stand watch on watch off. Going south cut off 800 miles.

Pretty quick she was back at the helm with a spinach salad with sliced tomato, onion and chunky avocado slathered with a mustard vinaigrette dressing and coffee.

“Where did that come from?” He was mystified. He certainly hadn’t loaded that.

“I saw what you planned to eat, Johnny. I wasn’t planning on starving. I loaded up while you were at the Authority checking out.”

“Did you check out?”

“Of course...”

“You were coming anyway?”

“You bet. One up on Good old Surprise.”

He got a faraway look ... like he was looking right me but I wasn’t there. The look made me nervous and I moved. He jerked.

“Where have you been?”

“I don’t know ... well I do ... but...”

“I won’t like it?”

“Right.”

“Surprise?”

“Not exactly. I was thinking of the front yard at home...”

“Frogmorton?”

“Yes.”

“Katas?”

“And Bojutsu.” He said, “We were so smooth.”

“At five?”

“And six and seven,” he got dreamy again. “We got along so well.”

Angrily I snapped, “We were just alike ... I hated that.”

“Why?”

“I wanted to be me ... Surprise wanted to be Mom!” I said, “She wanted us to all be mom.”

“Do you remember mom before she got smart?”

“She was always smart.”

“No, Cynthia ... she wasn’t,” JW said, “She learned to be smart ... while she was reading to us.”

“How do you remember that?” I snapped again. “I don’t.”

“That’s the difference between us, Cyn,” he said gently, “Surprise and I remember. You don’t.”

“What?”

“It was dad,” I said. “Dad wasn’t from here.”

“Was too!”

“Nope ... dad was from out there.” He pointed at the sky ... past the sky. “What ever he was ... he infected us all.”