Summary:
Two couples rent a large sailboat for their vacation. While out on the water they decide to trade spouses and try new parings.
Cast of Characters:
Mike Williams: Lifelong sailor
Carla Williams: Mike's wife
Sam Bean: Friend of Mike's
Erin bean: Sam's wife
Attention:
Through the dance in Chapter 10 the story is told from the POV of Mike Williams. Beginning in Chapter 11, the POV from others in the story are interwoven.
Chapter 1 -- Introduction
My name is Mike Williams and I live in the stereotypical middle class housing with a middle class job doing middle class boring stuff day after day. Sam Bean, my best friend and golf buddy, are always thinking of things we can do to make our lives exciting, if only for a few minutes. We fantasize about all kinds of things, but never follow through. One of us, I don't remember if it was Sam or me, even suggested joining a group of swingers or just swap our own wives with each other. It was said in jest, but we both knew deep down it was more than a joke. We each loved our own wife, but found our buddy's wife to be very hot.
Our boredom was fast approaching the critical stage. We had to break out of the rut our life had become. It was more than just boredom, we were really depressed, or at least I was. Our wives are good friends and we get together as couples a couple times a month, usually on a Friday or Saturday evening. Our wives are very good friends and seem to spend a lot more time together.
Oftentimes we would sit around and talk, watch TV or even now and then play a board game or card game. We have lots of different games. Now and then our wives would find something new for us to try. Some were good and others were disasters.
We were sitting in our living room one Friday trying to decide what to do. Sam said, "I am so damn bored, we have to find something new but it seems we always fall back on the board games, cards or some of the other stuff we have tried. We need some new ideas and try something new that is outside our comfort zone. It should be something we have never done, or at least not recently.
As usual the women said they had no new ideas. I said, "How about the four of us heading to the lake and do some camping. As usual my idea fell on deaf ears. Erin, Sam's wife, said "I have an idea I have discussed with Carla. The problem is it is more than just a one night or even a weekend thing." I was ready to consider anything and told her. "Well, Carla and I were looking on-line and saw where we can rent a nice sailboat for a week. Mike, Carla said you have sailed a lot and could easily qualify to rent the boat. When we saw the site, the idea of spending a week on a sailboat sounded so relaxing and like a lot of fun. I have never been sailing, but a week on a boat sounds like a blast and those sailboats are so pretty. I browsed the prices and it doesn't look like it would too expensive. Most of the boats listed on the web site have at least two bedrooms. Mike, what do you think?"
"It would be a relatively inexpensive week. The boat is your room, and transportation. Sailboats are so peaceful and majestic as they slice through the water; but crewing and sailing a boat is a lot of work. You have to have a crew willing to work and follow directions, otherwise it can be miserable."
Erin said, "The boats they listed have plenty of room for two couples or even more. I think it sounds like fun. It is certainly something we have not done before. It would be an exciting adventure. If you would captain the boat the three of us would be your crew. Maybe even Carla and I could sunbathe naked on the bow. I bet you boys would like that."
When they wanted something the wives knew how to make what they wanted sound much more enticing. Their suggestion made it extremely difficult to refuse. With a little more coaxing I agreed to be the Captain. Sam agreed it sounded like fun and said he was onboard for the adventure. After all, I had always wanted to see Erin naked and maybe this could be my opportunity.
Chapter 2 -- Setting the Plan into Motion
The next day I contacted the charter company Erin had found and explained my experience telling the owner my credentials. He asked me to FAX the documentation to him and agreed if all checked out, he saw no reason we could not get a boat for a week of sailing and relaxation. He said he had a new 42 foot sloop that would be the perfect size for two couples. He said he needed me to take him or one of his people out to demonstrate I knew how to handle the boat, but he assured me it was only a formality. A sloop has one mast for the main. A second sail called the head-sail is attached to the bow. This style of sailing vessel would be easy for my inexperienced crew to handle.
I reserved the boat and our wives started making plans. They absolutely had to have new swim wear, meals had to be planned, ports they wanted to visit and the list went on. Sam and I turned them loose and let them have at it. We just wanted to kick back and relax while maybe getting a good look at each other's wife naked on the bow. We had never even played strip poker so our hopes were high this cruise held good possibilities of being a lot of fun.
On the day or our reservation, we arrived at the harbor and contacted the guy I had talked to, the charter owner. He was a nice guy and offered to check me out himself. He told Sam and the girls we would be back in an hour or two. He ran me through some very basic seamanship.
His questions were so basic they were a little insulting. I guess they were designed to weed out anyone who had never been on a sailing vessel previously, but any day sailor could have answered his questions. He wanted me to tie a couple knots used on boats and to point out stuff he would call out, such as a wench handle, spinnaker pole, reef points on the main and stuff that anyone who had spent over a couple of hours on a sailboat would know. I had to explain what a sheet was (no, it is not the sail fabric) and how to adjust the Cunningham and Outhaul.
Once he was satisfied, he had me motor out of the harbor. I raised the main and set the jib. It felt good to be back on the water with this beautiful boat under me. It had been a while since I had sailed, but it all came back just like riding a bicycle. It felt good to feel the ocean breeze on my face. We had a nice wind causing the boat to heel nicely. This was a nice boat and I was happy we had selected this size. It was a very nicely equipped 42 foot sloop.
Satisfied with my ability to handle the vessel, the owner had me take her back in. He was impressed as I furled the jib and lowered the main. We motored back to the same slip where Sam and the wives were waiting. They had used the time to stack coolers of food and bags of clothing, ready to load onto the boat.
Once the boat was tied off to the dock the owner told them they could load our stuff while he and I took care of some paperwork. After signing away my life I was given the keys to a boat worth well over $950K. Upon returning to the boat my able crew had everything loaded. With a full tank of diesel for the engine, we were ready to set sail.