Captain Bob and the guests were having a beer at the Pilot House restaurant in Key Largo. I could hear them laughing as I loaded the sailboat with food and luggage, carefully balancing both weights.
Cardboard boxes of food from the store in Miami were to stay on the dock as I traded each box into baskets to bring aboard.. Those boxes are a great way to infest a boat with cockroaches.

Captain Bob and I had been sailing for a couple years now, doing one or two weeks trips to the Bahamas. Our guests were usually couples from around America, looking for a little adventure in the islands and with Bob, they knew it would be exciting. He stood over six feet and with his wind blown hair and beard, he looked like a modern day viking.

Aikane was the name of the boat. She was a 42 foot sailboat lacking a few essentials, like a ship to shore radio and life boat.
Pretty risky with paying guests on board, but safety features didn't usually come up. By the time I had started sailing with him, he had been in the charter business for a couple years and 70% of his business was repeat.

This was a one week trip to Bimini and Nassau for some gambling. The weather report was calling for winds coming from the north and chance of a storm.

Crossing the Gulf Stream which is a current flowing about 3 knots north along the east coast was usually pleasant. High winds coming from the north and meeting currents heading north, created a very confused and unpleasant crossing.

We usually left in the evening, sailing all night and arriving in Bimini early morning. That always impressed the guests, coming into the clear turquoise water of the anchorage. Quaint pastel Bahamiam houses along the shore.

The boat was now ready and I had a beer with the guests before we began the sail. Bob was explaining to them that a storm was on the horizon and would they like to wait until the following day to leave. Feeling brave and fortified by the local beer, they unanimously agreed to take their chances with the weather.

We set out into a beautiful sunset and there was good natured teasing as we began to cross the Gulf Stream. The guests went to bed around midnight and Bob and I were at the helm, chatting softly and planning the week ahead.

Around two am, the winds picked up suddenly and it began to rain hard. We were heading into a pretty bad storm. The waves were getting bigger by the minute and the rain was torrential. The boat would reach the top of the wave, shift, then dive into the trough. I was at the helm and a few times, both feet came completely off the deck as I hung onto the wheel.

Down below, the guests were well awake, actually they were in a circle praying for their lives. It was pretty scary because the boat was keeled over to one side and all you could see from the sunmerged porthole was rushing water.

Each wave that pounded the boat made me wonder just how strong the fiberglass was, against this non stop assault. Going through my mind was just what would happen if the boat capsized? With no lifeboat or way to call for help, we would be in serious trouble. I tried not to think these thoughts as I struggled to keep the boat on course. 

We finally reached Bimini. It was still pouring rain as we made our way through the rough waves.I could see a group of people sheltered under the awning of the beach restaurant and that gave me courage.

As we sailed through the narrow inlet, Bob did a complete 360 turn as I pulled down the storm sail, then set the anchor. Aikane drifted on momentum until the anchor caught.

It felt as if I had been holding my breath for hours and finally released it.

Captain Bob calmly gathered the passports and papers for immigration as the guests, now safe in the anchorage, relaxed and laughed nervously.

I poked my head into the stateroom, "Anyone want coffee?"