The screen shot of PredictWind shows strong winds off the east coast. The dark red indicates winds of 30 knots…. Add in the 15 foot waves coming onto the eastern US coast from hurricane Melissa and dangerous conditions exist for our planned departure on November 1- destination Antigua in the Caribbean.

The three of us met in the airport, Jeff, Michael and I at 4:45 Monday morning for a 7 am flight to Washington. I had just arrived from a two week trip to China at 9 pm the evening before, so the early morning time told my body it was only in the afternoon China time-12 hours difference. My beautiful sailing boat was to be launched later that morning so we had to get there early. S/V Ileana had been on the hard since May. She needed a little work after spending the winter in the Caribbean.

I had knocked my retractable bow thruster off of the hull during a daring attempt at catching a mooring ball in the BVIs. It needed to be replaced. Dependable Marine in Herrington Harbor came to the rescue.

“We need payment before you can be launched,” said Michele the owner of the business when I arrived to find out when we would be in the water.

“No problem,” I replied. “My Visa card has a $15,000 limit.”

I glanced at her as she sadly shook her head. She pushed back her hair behind her ears in an anxious gesture. The wind seemed to be building. “We need cash.”

“Lucky thing I loaded up at the airport,” I replied. “Got a good deal, too. 70.2 cents on the dollar.” I reached into my wallet and pulled out $2000 in $100 bills and proudly gave it to her. “That should cover it.”

Again a startled look as she glanced at the wad of cash. “Not enough,” she said. “I need $4000.”

“Yikes!” I whispered. “Why so much? You kept a secret from me. Where am I going to get more cash? Is there a bank around here?

“Don’t know. Maybe try an Uber. We cannot launch you until we get paid in cash.”

An hour later after three banks told me, “No way we can give you any money, you’re Canadian,” I discovered the bank machine would give me $400 a card. Fortunately I had a wallet full of credit cards and bank cards. I returned with the cash and watched her carefully count the $20 bills twice before she was satisfied.

Finally, ready to head south to Hampton to meet up with the rest of the salty dawgs. We needed to get registered for the rally and get final instructions. A quick rigging inspection before we left had Amber, from East Coast Rigging up the mast to confirm everything was sound and secure.

“Captain,” she said after she got down, “You got a problem. You have a break in one of the metal strands. The entire shroud needs to be replaced.”

She showed me the shroud attached to the bottom spreader. Yeah there was a break in one of the strands. But there were at least 19 other strands that were not broken…. although I noticed they were slightly rusted. “Surely, one little strand isn’t going to stop us from leaving,” I replied. “Looks to me most are intact.”

“You really should have all the rigging replaced,” she said. “We can have all the parts rushed here in 6 weeks.”

“Six weeks?” I asked. “That will be the middle of December. That is no time to be on the North Atlantic. Too many storms!”

“I think you would be OK to replace the broken shroud then. You don’t want your mast coming down out at sea. We can do that on Thursday. We need to pull off the mast, though.”

One tiny break in a thread…

Tomorrow, the crane arrives around noon……to avoid the 35 knot winds in the morning. If things go well, and the rigging gets fixed, we’ll be off to Hampton 120 miles away for an overnight sail to the Salty Dawg headquarters at the Hampton Yacht Club. The departure date is now uncertain after today’s weather meeting. There’s a low pressure system over Louisiana that could foul things up if it drifts over to the east coast.

That is the life of a sailor…..at the mercy of the elements. Somehow, though it seems worth all the trouble. The three of us remain optimistic for a great trip!

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My latest novel –The Greatest Doctor– coming soon

Dr. Smitty is a legend in the emergency room. He’s an arrogant but brilliant physician, a man of such extraordinary skill that he can single-handedly save a stabbing victim’s life with a daring, unauthorized surgery while casually flirting with his stunned female colleagues. Outside of the hospital, he is a champion sailor, mastering the treacherous waters of Lake Ontario aboard his sleek yacht, The Greatest Doctor. But beneath the crisp scrubs and the charming smile, lies a psychopath consumed by a terrifying, all-consuming need for control and superiority. When he’s not saving lives, Smitty is meticulously orchestrating clandestine sailing trips, using the veneer of his success to mask a dark secret: a compulsion to prey upon vulnerable young women.

Smitty’s past is filled with trauma; as a child, he was removed from his parents because of neglect and raised by his grandparents, whom he later killed to inherit their property. His double life unravels when Marcie, a young woman he intends to drug with Rohypnol, outsmarts him, only to have the tables turned on him. This incident leads to his arrest, and the events of his past catch up with him. The novel follows Smitty as he navigates his escalating legal troubles and the mounting evidence against him, all while his calm and calculated exterior cracks. As his world crumbles, will they finally expose the good doctor’s true nature?

The Greatest Doctor is a gripping psychological thriller that plunges into the dark abyss of a brilliant mind twisted by power and control. Will anyone stop Smitty, or will his reign of terror continue to claim innocent lives?