Note: All characters are 18+ and fictitious. Any names or descriptions resembling actual people is purely coincidental.
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At first, Chloe was a little nervous about the cruise. She would be gone for at least a month, and probably more! But it was the opportunity of a lifetime. When she told her mom that she wanted to go on a cruise for her graduation gift, she thought it would be on one of those big luxury liners in the mediterranean, or to The Bahamas. This was way better, but still a little intimidating.
Her real dad died when she was eight, and a couple years later, her mom remarried to an older guy named Kevin. And Kevin's little brother, Mike, was a hoot. He had this crazy personality, always cracking jokes and telling stories she knew were either made up, or embellished. But the best part about Uncle Mike was that he was a boating fanatic, just like her father was... and Uncle Mike shared the same love of the open water she inherited from her dad. Because of that, Uncle Mike was like her hero.
He had gone to the NY Maritime Academy, and after graduation he worked on cargo ships, then landed a job on one of the beautiful cruise ships, which is where Chloe wanted to be some day. He had to quit that job when his wife had a baby so he could be home more. He then used the money he saved, and the connections he had, to buy a boatyard in Maryland. Whenever they went to visit, he would take her sailing or fishing on the Chesapeake.
It had been a couple years since they got together with Uncle Mike, so she was really excited to see him again. Her mom said that after his divorce, he bought himself a gorgeous yacht, and was planning to take it to the Caribbean where he would charter it. To do that, he needed a crew, and he invited Chloe to be one of them!
Mike had big plans for the Sea Nymph. She was a stunning 50 foot catamaran he got for a great price after it had been damaged in a storm. He fixed her up, got the engines purring beautifully, and even replaced all the sails and rigging. When chartering, appearances can be very important.
When Diane, his sister in law called about Chloe's graduation, and suggested he take her down to the Islands with him, he was pretty skeptical. Chloe loved sailing, for sure, but could she handle weeks on the open ocean? And it wasn't like she'd just be along for the ride. She'd have to help crew the boat. That wasn't always so easy. But Chloe was a good kid. Very smart, funny, and she loved sailing. He figured, wherever she didn't know, he could teach her.
Mike was taking a month to sail his beautiful Sea Nymph to the Virgin Islands where he was going to charter it. In truth, he was just trying to get away from his miserable ex-wife who had taken him for nearly everything in the divorce. Luckily, his brother was a half owner in the boatyard, so she didn't get that. Mike sold his half to his brother, and used the money to buy and fix up the Nymph. He needed a change... bad! A cruise to clear his head, and bumming about the Caribbean sounded like just the thing.
He arranged for Dave, his best friend, to do the cruise down to St. Thomas. Ricky, Dave's cousin, seemed a lot like Dave. They both had the same quirky sense of humor, the same Boston accent, and they both prided themselves on their ability to turn almost anything into an edible meal... a valuable asset on a boat.
Diane dropped-off Chloe at the marina, made Mike promise to take good care of her little girl, and had a teary goodbye, making Chloe promise to call or text whenever she could.
Mike was... stunned. The last time he saw Chloe was over two years ago at her Sweet 16 birthday party. She was this skinny little kid back then, with no figure to speak of, freckles, and braces. Cute, but not... well... not this! She was still a cute little thing, but she had developed breasts since then. Not big, but respectable. Her face still had that girlish quality and some remaining freckles, but the braces left her teeth perfect, and she had a dazzling smile. Then there was the rest of her.
"Oh my fucking god..." Dave groaned as he got a look at Mike's niece in her tight little shorts, crop top and deck shoes. She was a gorgeous blend of cute and sexy, with great legs and a perfect ass!
"I know." Mike groaned back. "Not a kid anymore."
"Nope." Dave agreed. "Oh geez! Four weeks with her on board? Talk about torture."
"Uncle Mike!" Chloe ran over and threw herself onto her uncle that she hadn't seen in years. "Thanks for letting me tag along." she kissed his face and slid back down to her feet.
"No tagging involved here, missy." he chuckled. "You're not coming along for a ride. You're part of the crew. So, get your butt moving. Stow your stuff in the forward port bunk, and report on deck for orders."
"Aye, aye, Captain!" she giggled, and hurried off with her overstuffed duffle on her shoulder.
Rick was just coming out of the main cabin, and almost ran into Chloe on her way in.
"Whoa!" he gasped at the cute little blonde. "Umm... you're Chloe?"
She nodded. "That's me." she offered her hand.
"Uhh, Rick." he shook her hand.
"Hi Rick. I have to get my stuff below. Be right back." She scurried past him and down the steps to the cabins on the port side.
Rick came up on deck looking like he'd been smacked with a silly stick... big shit-eating grin, wide eyes, lost expression. "That's your niece?" he gasped at Mike.
Mike nodded and gave a little shrug. "I had no idea she'd grown up... or grown up like that, anyway."
"This cruise just got a lot more interesting." Rick snickered.
"Hey!" Mike frowned. "She's my niece... or step-niece... or something. Whatever. Just... keep it in your pants."
They made sure everything was secured, checked the fuel, water, batteries, wind generator, solar panel, compass, radar, and everything else in fine detail. No sense in leaving without making sure they were at 100 percent. It's a lot easier to fix stuff at port than at sea.
By noon, they were ready to cast off, and started their first leg from Miami to Bimini. Mike was the skipper, so he called out the orders when sails needed adjusting or course needed correcting, but all of them knew what they were doing. Even Chloe with her limited experience was on task, and had a real feel for setting the jib for best results.
Just as the sun was setting, they cruised into a lovely marina, and found the dockmaster for a place to tie up for a couple days. Mike had some worries about the weather, and wanted to let a storm out at sea decide where it was going before setting off. They squeezed their wide catamaran into a slip that was only just big enough, got her secured, and settled in for the night. Dave fixed them a terrific meal, and they ate on deck, enjoying the warm night.
Chloe had noticed how Dave and Rick looked at her. She knew she was good looking, but these older men stared like she was a supermodel or something. It was very flattering, if a little awkward, considering their age. But she also noticed how Uncle Mike didn't do the same. Maybe he was just really trying not to look. She figured him being her uncle... or step-uncle, made a difference. Or maybe he just didn't find her attractive. She remembered that his ex-wife was stacked! Huge breasts, a big butt. Maybe that was more his style.
After dinner, they sat on deck with some nice boating music playing on the boat's soundsystem. Lots of calypso, Jimmy Buffet, and steel drums.
"Here you go." Mike said as he took a seat next to Chloe, handing her a rum drink. She took a sip, and made a cute little squeak when she tasted the liquor.
"What is this?" she asked excitedly.
