Chapter 9

Handshakes all round, drop the lines and we were off. Same as last time, we motored out, intending to anchor at Bongaree but we had the tide and 15 knots ... so we sailed out of the bay into the Coral Sea.

Well out.

I wanted to have the Great Barrier Reef on my port side.

“No! No, no and no,” said Zoe. “We’re going to Rabaul ... then we’re going to Japan.”

“And why are we going to Rabaul?”

“We’re going to rescue a girl I went to school with.”

Now ... that sounds like something right up my alley. A heroic rescue.

<Who says she needs rescuing?>

“Well, does she?” JW said.

“Does she what?” Zo asked.

You guys need to give me a warning, “Why does she need rescuing?”

<Ooo ... nice save, JW.>

“Forced into a marriage she doesn’t want,” explained Zo. “She’s in love with a guy from school.”

<It’s an arranged marriage, JW. Forging an alliance between two businesses.>

“How do you know?” This could get complicated, I thought. The Powers that Be chuckled. <We’re historians ... we know everything.>

“Because she told me so,” Zoe said. “Can’t you just take my word for it?”

“Why was she in school with you?”

“Boarding school. We get students from all the islands.”

“We get?”

“They ... the school gets ... I graduated,” Zo said.

“When does this supposed marriage take place?”

“Three weeks... 21 days.”

<1440 miles.>

Thanks. “1440 miles.”

<You’ll average 6 knots. 10 days.>

“Ten days,” I said.

Zo looked surprised, “How do you know that?”

“Genius.” I tapped the side of my head.

She gave me the mom look ... tapped the side of my head and said, “Crazy.”

“No ... he’s right but it’s 1443 nautical miles ... one thousand six hundred sixty and a half miles or two thousand six hundred seventy two kilometers. At 6 knots it’s 10 days ... at 5 knots it’s twelve,” Cyn said.

“I keep forgetting you two aren’t normal,” Zo said. “Somebody give me some paper.”

With paper, pencil and standard math, Zo figured ... then she crumpled the sheet and said, “Okay ... so you’re right. You did that in your head.”

“Yes,” like twins.

I needed a map. We all headed for the navigation work-space. It’s to the port side of the companionway ... next to the mechanical spaces. If we were crowded a party could sleep in the small berth between the nav station and the stern. The steering quadrant is part of the decoration ... it can get noisy ... but most people are used to the noise of the city. Compared to the city, the steering gear is quiet ... almost hypnotic.

On the starboard side of the mechanicals is one of the heads and another but larger berth ... quarters for two friendly people ... real friendly. The headroom isn’t great because the overhead is the cockpit floor. No claustrophobes need apply. And there’s the added attraction of half of the steering gear.

We don’t use either of the aft bunks ... except for storage.

Checking the charts meant some searching. I had charted a course outside the Reef, rounding Cape York to sail between Horn and Prince of Wales islands ... stopping at Horn for provisions.

Then heading westish across the Arafura sea. I had the Arafura in mind because it was part of the Australian continent during the last Ice Age. As such most of the Arafura was shallow... 600 feet or less ... and prime fishing. I planned to stay well out but following the shallow New Guinea coastal shelf for the same reason.

Through the Ceram and Halmahera Seas and following the west edge of the Philippine Trench to Miyako-jima, Japan and the school there.

As far as straight shots go ... Rabaul was fairly easy ... skirt the southern edge of the Reef and sail one degree west go north. Dodging the odd island and such, we would have access to fishing and island produce most of the way.

Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, on the island of New Britain, in the country of Papua New Guinea. It lies about 60 kilometers to the east of the island of New Guinea.

I hope Zoe knows what she’s asking.

The problem would be Guam ... a United States Territory. Guam would be 6 or 8 days north of Rabaul ... I suppose I could worry about the Coast Guard when or if we encountered them.

“You’re set on this?” I was looking straight at Zo.

“Yes,” she replied.

I went to the helm ... made the course adjustments and wondered where I was going to find weapons.