![\"GMDC-seal-300\"](\"https:\/\/peelbooks.com\/susanjoycejourneys\/wp-content\/uploads\/GMDC-seal-300.jpg\")
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Trincomalee, Sri Lanka\u20141975<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n At 3:32 PM local time, on 19 July, 1975, Alon cut the rope tied to the We were no longer tied to the shore or the seabed. We were afloat. Pots and pans rattled in the galley below, I realized this would be more Water slapped my face and drenched the deck. I watched Charles stumble Dylan yelled, \u201cstorm overhead.\u201d<\/p>\n I almost lost my lunch, but not my hold on the rail.<\/p>\n Dylan\u2019s adjustment of the sails forced me to sit upright, again tightly \u201cIt\u2019s okay,\u201d Mia said in a loud voice. \u201cDylan turned the wheel to change As we lurched ahead, south-west in the direction of the Seychelles. I \u201cI\u2019ll try,\u201d I said, trying hard not to vomit or cry. Much to my surprise, the yacht became more stable with wind. Remembering Mia\u2019s words, my eyes searched for land. I turned round \u201cHow far away is it?\u201d I queried Dylan.<\/p>\n \u201cTo where?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Seychelles,\u201d I answered.<\/p>\n \u201cOnly 3198.5 kilometers,\u201d he said smiling. \u201cAs the crow flies.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFrom Trincomalee to the Seychelles?\u201d I asked again.<\/p>\n He nodded. \u201c1725.9 nautical miles.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAlmost 2,000 miles!\u201d Oh to be a crow.<\/p>\n \u201cCorrect,\u201d he said. \u201cWith sailing and tacking, it becomes more.\u201d Trincomalee, Sri Lanka\u20141975 At 3:32 PM local time, on 19 July, 1975, Alon cut the rope tied to the anchor and Zozo danced about in the water. I looked at the ship\u2019s clock and noted it in my journal, and placed the journal back in its protective pouch. We were no longer tied to the … <\/p>\n
\nanchor and Zozo danced about in the water. I looked at the ship\u2019s
\nclock and noted it in my journal, and placed the journal back in its
\nprotective pouch.<\/p>\n
\nI grabbed a life jacket, and quickly put it on, making certain it was
\ntied tight. Knowing psychology is an important tool for survivors, I
\nreminded myself of the importance of a positive image in dangerous
\nsituations and imagined myself floating in the life jacket until rescued.
\nWe were on deck as we set sail. Alon, Charles, and Mia scurried about,
\npreparing lines and sails while Dylan piloted the yacht out of the harbor.
\nI sat in what appeared to be the safest spot on deck, the center
\nseat, and clung to the seat and the railing. I gripped the railing tighter
\nwhen the ship pitched side to side.<\/p>\n
\nof an adventure than I had ever imagined. I saw a pan fly loose in the
\ngalley and heard a loud thunk when it landed. Hope Toto didn\u2019t get hit!
\nThe crew on another boat waved goodbye. I waved back. A sudden
\nshift threw me forward. Forget waving. Hang on for dear life!
\nThe harbor bobbed upward and downward, and the boat rocked back
\nand forth as we entered the open sea. The incessant waves made me
\noff-balance and dizzy. Queasy. No time to vomit now. No place to
\nvomit now.<\/p>\n
\nacross it and stagger down the stairs. He must be feeling sick as well.
\nIn an instant, the boat turned sideways, quickly straightened out, and
\nshot full speed ahead.<\/p>\n
\nclutching the rails; determined not to be tossed overboard before we
\neven got out into the open ocean.<\/p>\n
\ncourse, and get us away from the storm.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nquestioned why I had ever agreed to this crazy adventure. I wanted to
\nscream, Stop, let me off, but instead I moaned, \u201cI feel sick.\u201d
\n\u201cIt\u2019s normal,\u201d Mia said. \u201cYou\u2019ll get used to it. Just remember to keep
\nyour eyes on the horizon.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nWhen I looked back, I saw black clouds covering the port of Trincomalee.
\nLarge sheets of rain moved across the dark sky. The ships in
\nport became small dots on the horizon as Zozo moved forward into a
\nblue sky. Terra firma was going away as we sailed into the unknown.
\nDylan unfurled and hoisted the sails.<\/p>\n
\nA few minutes later, I heard Dylan announce, \u201csix knots.\u201d He was
\nsmiling. The wind whisked us ahead at a smooth speed.<\/p>\n
\nand round. Trincomalee had disappeared. No land in sight. Only
\nwater as far as I could see. A water horizon surrounded me. A strange
\nfeeling, one I had never experienced before.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHow much more?\u201d
\n\u201cIf we change course and head into the wind, it will take longer.\u201d
\n\u201cHow long will it take?\u201d I asked.
\n\u201cDepends on the weather,\u201d Dylan answered.
\nI couldn\u2019t even imagine traveling 2,000 miles across the ocean and not
\nseeing land. \u201cIs there any land between here and there?\u201d I asked.
\nHe shook his head no. \u201cOpen ocean.\u201d
\nThe wind blew stronger. Still feeling nauseous, I decided to go inside
\nto be near a toilet. I took my time zigzagging across the deck, and
\nmoved lower into the galley.
\nI picked up the fallen pots and pans and tossed them into the kitchen
\nsink. I slumped on a chair and waited for the motion sickness to go
\naway. I looked around for a sign of Toto, but my eyes failed to focus.
\nHow long will this last? It seemed too hot and stuffy inside, so I got up
\nand moved toward the steps to the deck, gripping the railing for balance.
\nGot to have fresh air, I thought. Air will surely help. Straddling
\nthe stairs, I clung tight to the railing, and waited for my eyes to focus.
\nA hand reached down. It was Mia\u2019s, helping me climb up.
\n\u201cThank you,\u201d I said, taking her hand and stepping onto the deck.
\nThe waves had subsided, and the boat was gently bobbing along the
\nsea. Charles was also back up, sitting on deck. I asked him how he
\nwas feeling.
\n\u201cSick,\u201d he answered looking ashen. \u201cI\u2019m going back to bed.\u201d
\n\u201cMia says it\u2019s best to keep looking at the horizon.\u201d
\nHe shook his head no, and headed to the stairs, weaving about like a
\ndrunk sailor.
\n\u201cHang on to the rails,\u201d Dylan yelled. \u201cIt\u2019s fairly calm now. If the seas get
\nrough, we\u2019ll secure ourselves with life lines.\u201d
\nGood, I thought. So we don\u2019t get thrown overboard.
\nI remembered the ginger root remedy. I got up, and in slow motion
\ncrossed the deck and snaked my way down to the galley.
\nMia was in the galley making coffee for Dylan. She had put a kettle of
\nwater on for tea. I peeled the ginger root and placed slices of it in cups
\nfor me and Charles. When the kettle whistled, I poured boiling water
\nin the cups and let the ginger steep.
\n\u201cAre you okay to carry it?\u201d Mia asked.
\n\u201cI\u2019ll drink mine first and take a cup to Charles later,\u201d I answered. Sipping
\nslowly, I starred at the coffee pot and let the warm, spicy bite of
\nginger sink in. No wonder the coffeepot stayed in one place. It was
\nsecured with nuts and bolts. A good thing. The way Dylan drank coffee
\naround the clock; rough seas or smooth sailing.
\nMia took a fresh cup of coffee up to Dylan.
\nWhen she returned, I asked if she had seen Toto.
\n\u201cNot today,\u201d she answered.
\n\u201cDo you ever get seasick?\u201d I asked.
\n\u201cNot anymore. You\u2019ll get used to the motion,\u201d she answered.
\n\u201cSure hope so,\u201d I said.
\nI took the ginger tea to Charles and told him about the 2,000 mile
\ndistance from Trincomalee to the Seychelles.
\n\u201cI know,\u201d he said. \u201cI saw it on the map.\u201d
\n\u201cIt\u2019s a long way to go without charts,\u201d I said.
\nHe nodded his head. \u201cDylan assures me he can navigate by the stars.\u201d
\n\u201cLike Christopher Columbus?\u201d
\n\u201cWe\u2019ll see,\u201d Charles said.
\n\u201cWhat if the sun doesn\u2019t shine?\u201d I asked.
\nCharles shrugged his shoulders. \u201cHe\u2019ll measure sights between the
\nhorizon and a celestial object.\u201d
\n\u201cLike the moon or other planets?\u201d
\n\u201cYes.\u201d
\n\u201cHow does he do it?\u201d
\n\u201cWith an instrument called a sextant, It determines the angle between
\nthe astronomical object and the horizon.\u201d
\n\u201cHard to imagine how it\u2019s even possible,\u201d I added, feeling worried.
\n\u201cDylan will take a sighting from time to time to know where we are,
\nand write it in a log book.\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019m heading up for fresh air and more ginger tea. Would you like
\nanother cup?\u201d
\n\u201cNo thanks!\u201d Charles waved me away.
\nWe had agreed to work four hour shifts. Feeling dizzy and queasy, I
\ncouldn\u2019t even imagine being of help to anyone today. Hopefully Mia
\nis correct in thinking it will pass. I didn\u2019t like having wobbly sea legs.
\nI made more ginger tea, then worked my way back up the stairs to a
\ncenter deck seat.
\nI heard Dylan tell Alon we had a good wind and were making headway.
\n\u201cHow many miles do we go in an hour?\u201d I asked.
\n\u201cAbout five,\u201d Dylan answered.
\nI figured it out in my head. \u201cSo, we\u2019ll travel 120 miles in a day?\u201d I asked.
\n\u201cMore or less,\u201d Dylan said. \u201cDepends on the weather.\u201d
\nThat\u2019s like crawling, I thought. How many days would it take us to
\nreach land? The thought made me dizzier.
\n\u201cMake yourself comfortable and enjoy the trip,\u201d Alon said, smiling.
\nI sighed. Wishing it so.
\nThe weather was nice the first two days, but feeling so disoriented
\nwasn\u2019t fun. No thinking clearly, hanging on for dear life to anything I
\ncould find. I wasn\u2019t able to help do my shifts and neither was Charles.
\nMy legs continued to wobble and I knew I was going to vomit clear
\nacross the deck. I took a deep breath and talked to myself. No need to
\nvomit. Nothing in your stomach to vomit. Keep drinking ginger tea.
\nThis feeling will pass.
\nAnd it did. By the morning of the third day, I could move about without
\nhanging on to anything. The seas were calm and the cool of the
\nbreeze was soothing. I even enjoyed a stew Mia had made for our main
\nmeal early afternoon. Charles was also feeling better, but didn\u2019t want
\nto risk eating anything yet.
\nI offered to help Dylan, and sat on deck during his watch. He drank
\ncup after cup of coffee and never seemed to need a break or sleep. My
\njob was to be the lookout and make certain we avoided collision with
\nanother ship or any other obstacle. All I could see was mile after mile
\nof water and waves.
\nAs I sat watching the sea in the evening under the moonlight, I realized
\nDylan really did look like Sinbad; snagged-tooth smile and all. Bet he\u2019s
\nhad some amazing adventures in his life. I wanted to ask. But Dylan,
\nlike Charles, didn\u2019t share much information about his past. He seemed
\nto have secrets. He did hum and whistle though, which I enjoyed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"