Chapter 19: Another Crossing

We had just exited the harbor at Funchal, headed for the Caribbean, when Archara brought the satellite phone to the bridge. Cynthiana’s instructions were clear.

“The people looking for you have tipped their hand. I want you to head for Fort Lauderdale. I’ll be in touch.”

Today was Monday, the 17^th of May. The distance to Fort Lauderdale was about 3,800 nautical miles. The Cécile’s optimal cruising speed was 12 knots, but the way we were loaded, and considering the distance and timing our estimated cruising speed was closer to 9 knots, which meant we should arrive in Fort Lauderdale in roughly 19 days, or by Sunday, the 6^th of June.

I discovered that the Cécile had an optional sixth fuel cell (tank) to give it even more extended range. So by fueling up in Funchal, we had enough fuel for just over 5,000 nautical miles at cruising speed. And because we had been in Funchal for several days, and many of the merchants there took credit cards, we had ample provisions for 18 people for 19 days. In case anyone’s counting, that’s over 1,000 meals and not a single grocery store in sight now. But the Bering 120 was built exactly for this. Long distance exploration.

When I told the officers (now I was calling them that, too) about what Reggie had suggested about programming the radar for incoming objects such as missiles, drones, and aircraft, they thought it would be a great training exercise for yours truly. And that’s how my first couple of days were spent. I will admit to feeling more confident about the Bering’s advanced electronics after that.

Because we had nineteen days of sailing in front of us, the officers decided they didn’t need to run me ragged with a crowded training schedule. So I was scheduled for six hours a day on the bridge, which I discovered, gave each of them a watch as well. I think they were using a daily watch to fight their own boredom as much as anything.

I discovered that I still enjoyed the early morning watches the best, even though there was less physical activity than on a sailing ship. A surprising side benefit was that my dad, who also liked early mornings, began to spend time with me while I had the early watch and we talked about many things.

When he happened to mention it to my mom, it was she that turned up the next morning. And while she didn’t make a habit of it, and never really got comfortable being alone with me while we were naked, she still bucked up her courage and came up on the bridge every once in a while. Especially if she had something on her mind.

Rachel just took my schedule in stride and I was never sure who I would find in my bed. Or when. But Rachel seemed to keep any problems from developing by the simple expedient of always offering to share me, and often she was there alongside any visitors.

The teenagers had taken on the steward’s duties of keeping the Cécile clean. And every afternoon, if I wasn’t otherwise engaged, I got to watch as nine naked beauties cleaned and scrubbed the exterior of the yacht.

I had taken to pitching in on the days they scrubbed the helipad, as its surface made it more difficult to clean. It was during one of these sessions where I was helping Rachel scrub the helipad when I looked up and then cupped my hands as if I had a golf club in them and made an imaginary stroke, watching as my imaginary ball sailed out to sea.

A few days later, when I arrived to help scrub the helipad, my bag was lying on the big ‘H’ in the center.

“We’ll get you some more golf balls when we get to Florida, but at least you can hit the few you have with you today,” she said with that sexy smile.

Except for an early season low pressure system on day twelve, the weather was marvelously cooperative with light winds, and warm weather.

To me, the entire passage was low-key and relaxing. One of the most enjoyable I have ever had.

That’s not to say it was completely trouble free. We had the occasional mechanical problems such as an icemaker failing, which I quickly repaired, and a freezer in the hold quit working. We simply transferred the remaining foods to one of the other five freezers. It would have to be fixed or replaced once we reached Florida.

We also stopped a couple of times, just to allow everyone to swim in the ocean. The second time, we had to quickly return to the yacht because my mom spotted a fin in the water.

It was on the Friday before we were due to dock on Sunday, which meant we were roughly one hundred miles east-northeast of the northern Bahama islands when the alarm went off on the radar. It was about nine o’clock in the morning and I had just gotten to sleep after my watch and a few pleasurable moments with my older sister Kelly Ann, when Captain Alfred called me to the bridge.

When I finally connected with the unseen object, and studied it for a few minutes, I decided it must be some kind of observation drone. Of course, I made sure it immediately malfunctioned, and crashed in the ocean.

“Why do they keep doing this?” I asked the officers.

They immediately called Reggie who said to sit tight and he would call us back.

Ten minutes later, Cynthiana called on my encrypted iPhone.

“When are you going to arrive in Fort Lauderdale?” she asked immediately.

I told her we should be there Sunday morning.

“Okay. I want you to write this down,” she said and rattled off some coordinates. “That’s to the Bahia Mar Yachting Center. The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show opens next Wednesday. Contact the harbor master for entry details and your berth. You will be showing on behalf of Bering Yachts so you’ll need to prepare the Cécile for visitors. I have her new nameplates scheduled to be installed on Monday morning. And Alexei should be there by Tuesday. Got all that?”

“Yes, ma’am,” I replied.

“Good. Reggie will be there when you get there and decide if it’s safe for the others to leave the boat. However, if you so much as touch your toes to the pier, I’ll have Samantha and Sarah cuff you to the anchor and leave you on the bottom of the harbor until it’s over!” she told me.