Cruisin To Conception(2)
Whiiirrrrrup Whiiiirrrrrrrruuuup-"Wait a minute Baby, the battery's too low, head off and I'll get the Main up. We gotta build up some speed to get outa here NOW! Good, good, keep fallin off till the Main fills up OK? I'm going to hoist it, if I can, and as soon as she fills up steer due South."
PY pulled as hard as he could on the halyard and the snap of a Main'sl filling with fresh breeze accompanied by a ten degree heel, let him know that old FOUND had her teeth in it and was picking up speed every second…Whew, that was close…An old remembery flashed across his mind, of a sailboat, his first, that broke her steering cable going through the cut at Highborne Cay, caused him to look up and say "Thank you, Sir!" to the Being he called 'Da Boss.'
This sudden change of plan and motion brought the two white cats,PC for Pirate Cat, and Tink up from below to see just where they were being taken now.
Tink loved to sail. FOUND had so many hiding places, including the binnacle, where Tink went now. PC didn't love anything or anybody but she tolerated us because no one else would have her. The Pirate Cat proceeded to jump four feet straight up and caught the boom vang with her very sharp claws. She hung from her front paws, swinging back and forth with the motion of the sea against FOUND'S hull.
Before Holly or Da Captn could reach her a sudden swell caught FOUND and put her over another five degrees. That was all it took to swing PC off the boon vang and into the clear, shallow water beneath the boat. KERSPLUNK! "Cat Overboard!" they screamed in unison. They had a habit of doing that; of saying the same thing at the same time and this time there was urgency in that unison voice.
"Head up-NOW- I'm goin over da side. Put her in irons and keep her bow into the breeze!" gurgled the Captn, who had jumped over the side when he said "NOW!"
As,"Found" rounded up,her sails started to luff, making the terrible slapping sound that tells you your boat is in irons and you better DO something before the sails rip apart. Holly held her steady as she could trying to keep the sails from backwinding. The Capt'n was swimming with the 2 knot current so getting to P.C. was no problem. Getting P.C. in his hands and back aboard was…He was asking a lot of Holly . Doing what he asked would be hard for an experienced cruiser and Holly had only been sailing big boats for just over a year. They had encountered many touchy situations getting to Conception Island but keeping "Found" in one spot and off the reef with no engine and with her cat and Captn' overboard was not something that PY had thought to teach her.
Back in the clear blue water,PC was screaming like only a wet cat can, clawing the water, trying to swim. The Captn' swimming the sidestroke, scooped PC up in his left hand, turned around against the current and kicked with all he had. Holly and "Found" were doing exactly what they should;staying put and even loosing a little ground back towards the two screaming swimmers.
"I got her! Hold the boat where you are and I'll come to the starboard side." the Captn' yelled. "OK ,Baby. Do you need any help?" inquired a somewhat nervous Holly. "NOOOO, just stay at the wheel and keep her headed into the breeze" "I'm comin aboard!"
Fortunately, the Captn' had fashioned a step made from a piece of found wood and a length of 5/8's line. This step hung over the side to make getting in and out of the dingy easier. Now this step would be the lifeline for two wet, tired sea creatures, scrambling and scratching for a hold. "You, OK, PY?" asked Holly peering over the siderail. "Yeah, but PC has given me a new set of scars." He now had a firm hold on the starboard stantion and his foot on the step. PC had been hurled skyward, towards the cabin top, before PY had gotten to the step. She was letting the world know that she was NOT a happy kitty! RAAAOOORRRR MEEEEOOOWWWHHH,HISSSSSSS HISSSSSSSSS! As soon as PY was safe on deck both he and Holly broke out into riotous laughter. Just another day in Paradise.
With all live cargo now safely aboard it was time to find out why a set of fully charged batteries would not start old Preky. They also had to get FOUND out of danger and that meant heading back out to sea. Capt PY was a wee bit tired from his unplanned swim and Holly was a wee bit shaken by her first experience retrieving cats and captains overboard. "Oh Baby, you all right?" she asked rather loudly. "Yeah, yeah, Darlin but that darn cat has ta go!" Py also answered rather loudly. "Let's get some room between us and that reef system and then we'll figure out what ta do next." PY took the wheel and turnned FOUND around so that they were sailing downwind. He let the main out but kept the for'sl's furlled. They had plenty of time before darkness set in but thet couldn't anchor in the sound and they had to get into the western anchorage before the light failed. Found was making good 4kts downwind and was sailing without any heeling and as soon as PY had set a compass course he let Holly drive while he inspected their batteries. Holly was talking to PC trying to tell her that going over the side was not acceptable cat behaviour. "Well I see what happened." PY yelled from below. "That extra oil fell on the battery cable and knocked it loose,I'll have it fixed in just a second, No, Problem, Mon!" he laughed in his best Bahamian.
"Try it now, sweetheart!" WhirrrrrUP BapbapBapbapBapbap -Perky was up and running now.
"Hollyleuia, Hollyleuia" sang Holly. "Amen!" echoed the Captn'. "Let's try it again. Head up and I'll drop that stinkin main like a bad habit. We're gonna eat lobster tonight!"
As Holly manuevered, PY dropped the main and tied it fast to the boom.
They had lost an hour of daylight but still had plenty of time to get anchored before
darkness fell. Piloting into the anchorage was straightforward with no unusual occurances.
They decided to get as close to shore as FOUNDS 6' draft would let them for an east wind
had been forcast for the next 48 hours and that would keep them off the beach. Captn
PY had learned through experience, that when anchoring in the Out Islands use plenty of
chain and plenty scope no matter what the weatherman predicted. He proceeded to let
out 100' of chain even though they were in only 10' of water. After making sure that
the Dansforth was dug in , he swung back in the cockpit and gave Holly a BIG hug and kiss.
"you did great Baby! You're a sailin' fool now, HaHaHa! Let's get in da water
and find some supper, OK?" The beach on the western side was deserted.
This meant that they would be able to build a fire on shore and cook their catch over
roaring wood. For some unknown reason the food cooked over flame just tastes
better. They really liked to cook on the beach and with no one else around they
liked to sleep there too. This night they would feast on fresh caught lobster, conch
salad, homemade bread and real Irish butter. They would also make love under a
million stars accompanied by the waves lapping on a silvery shore.
Yeah, Mon, just another day in Paradise!
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