Mike Morgan
It had been a long exhausting trip: Tortola to Miami, then across the pond to Lisbon, and then the final leg to Horta. My legs were numb from sitting so long. As the taxi rolled into town during a beautiful late May afternoon, I considered the days to come.
I had been contracted as delivery captain on a transatlantic run back to the BVIs in a new sailboat, and it promised to be a challenging voyage. The problems I saw were several. First, there are always breakdowns in a new boat. A shorter shakedown cruise would have been preferable, close to land where spare parts and repair facilities are close by. Second, the owners would be aboard as delivery crew. I've seen problems with this setup before, where the owner's ego and the necessity of having a single captain collide. Despite my misgivings, I needed the money and the pay was good.
A bright side was that the boat was a Halberg-Rassy 46. I've sailed several HR models, and this Swedish yard makes some of the best boats around. The 46 indicates the length at the waterline, and that's big enough so that I and the owners would be able to have some space when needed. Even such big sailboats can be cramped, and they are even more so when the inevitable tensions that are a part of passage making bubble to the surface, thousands of miles from the nearest land. This particular boat was named
C-Breeze
, and I hoped it would be prophetic.
I hadn't yet met the owners. The arrangements had been made through the delivery agency I contract with. I knew that the owner was named Jim Burke, and that there were three of them making the voyage. Most marine insurance companies require a four-man crew for offshore, so they needed one more person. Apparently none of the Burkes had much experience beyond coastal cruising, so they had decided to hire a professional, me, for the 2300-mile voyage. I don't mind inexperienced crew as long as they are eager to learn and can follow directions. But a passage is hard work and I will be happy to get back home in a month or so.
Because it was late in the season, the Burkes had chosen to combine the commissioning of the boat with a coastal trip from Sweden down to Spain and then across to the Azores. They had a yard crew for that part and so would likely be OK. I knew the Burkes must be pretty well set for money since a new HR46 costs about $600 thousand, and an offshore sea trial isn't cheap either.
I arrived at the guesthouse where a room had been reserved for me, stowed my sea bag, and then strolled down to the marina to see if my clients had arrived. The harbor was crowded with yachts but the HR was not among them, so I went into the port captain's office to see if there was any news. The information from the radio net was that
C-Breeze
had stopped for minor repairs in Lisbon, but was in route and would likely arrive in the next two days. I wasn't disappointed with this news as it gave me time to rest up after the flights. We would need time before putting to sea again including buying provisions for the trip. Often this is harder work than actually being at sea.
Horta is a pretty town in the Azores, a group of small islands that are part of Portugal, but 900 miles out in the Atlantic from Lisbon. It is the normal jumping off point for cruisers heading for the Caribbean or Bermuda. The guest house I was staying at was full of yachties waiting for weather and circumstances to allow them to depart. It was late evening when I got back to my room, and before long I fell into a sound sleep.
I awoke the next morning with a need to pee and craving for a strong coffee. The first need being taken care of, I dressed and went down to the breakfast room. Finding an empty table for one, I ordered coffee and toast. Scanning the room, I saw that most of my fellow diners were middle-aged, with the exception of a striking young woman sitting directly across from me. She looked to be in her early twenties, with strawberry blond hair pulled into a ponytail, green eyes, and a slim figure. I glanced at her a few times while eating, and once saw her looking at me. We exchanged smiles and went back to our breakfasts.
After eating I strolled down to the port again for an update on my boat. There was nothing new, so I walked along the waterfront inspecting the range of yachts moored alongside. There were boats of every size and make, and I saw quite a few of the type I had done deliveries in. I was drooling over a big Swan when I sensed someone beside me. It was the girl from breakfast. She smiled at me and said, "This is a nice boat. It's not yours is it?" She wore a baseball cap and sunglasses, a polo shirt, khaki shorts, and hiking shoes. I had on the same attire, but my clothes were positively shabby in comparison. She was my height, five feet eight, very slim and trim, in a word, elegant.
From her accent, I could tell she was American. "Hardly! I couldn't afford a boat like that in two lifetimes. But hello! Mike Morgan here. I guess you're from the states too."
She gave me a little smile. "You could tell, huh? I'm Janet. You here for a crossing?"
"Yep, as soon as my ship comes in."
"I've heard that one before." She smiled again. "What ship are you on?"
"
C-Breeze
. It's a new boat, on the way here. I'm captaining the delivery"
"I'm just looking at the boats here too. Can I walk with you?"
"Sure. Are you doing a passage too?"
"Yes, I'm waiting for a boat too. Been here two days."
As we strolled about commenting on the good and bad points of the various sailboats docked at the marina, I was continuously amazed at how pretty she was. It was clear she had done quite a bit of sailing, and I asked, "Where did you pick up so much knowledge about boats?"
She replied, "My parents have owned boats since I was little. I grew up sailing dinghies in Seattle. We also chartered in the Caribbean almost every summer. How about you?"
