Like a giddy child she raced down the companionway, reached the
electrical panel, and switched on the spotlights. The small sailboat
brilliantly glowed in the phosphorous light of the ocean. Karen could now
clearly make out the dark figures and delighted in her new discovery.
“I’m afraid we are not being entertained by dolphins,” Karen giggled.
“These charming mammals, dear skipper, are whales, Pilot whales to be
exact and there are literally hundreds of them!”
For hours the whales escorted the Mysteria across the Pacific. Karen
had made her way below after being entertained by their attention, but
Lorenzo remained at the helm keeping a watchful eye on the huge
mammals. Once melodic, the mood however, had changed. Larger bull
whales had replaced the younger calves and instead of their playful antics,
the pod seemed increasingly agitated. They were so close to the hull
Lorenzo could easily reach down and touch them. Within minutes the
whales had sandwiched the boat. They were clearly angry now, their
breathing erratic and their motions furious. The once soft whistling from
their blow holes was now a piercing eruption of water. The Pilot whales
were no longer friendly. Closing in, they tested the sides of the boat. The
37’ sloop groaned beneath the pressure. At first it was just a slight bump,
then another, and suddenly a mighty jolt rocked the Mysteria as they
pounded the sides of her hull. Horrified, Lorenzo steadied himself against
the helm, then realized they intended to batter the small sailboat to pieces.
He could see Karen being thrown from her bunk below like some kind of
lifeless doll. When she raised her head he could see the terror in her eyes.
“My God,” she screamed at him, “what’s happening? The water’s
nearly up to my ankles! It’s coming in fast, too fast. Lorenzo, we’re
sinking.”
He couldn’t believe it. He simply couldn’t believe it. Momentarily
stunned, Lorenzo shook himself to clear his head. Racing below, he
activated the bilge pump, but quickly realized the uselessness of it all. The
sea water poured in as the tightened herd continued to crush the fiberglas
hull. The water was now at his knees, Lorenzo lunged for the radio and
began signaling a MAYDAY with their position. Instinctively, Karen
grabbed a knife from the sink and climbed up to the deck. Reaching the
dingy, she cut away the plastic bag that held the life raft. Dragging it to the
cockpit she could hear Lorenzo’s steady pleas over the radio. Only
minutes had passed but the boat was going down quickly. It was time
now; time to inflate the raft, load what they could and abandon the
Mysteria.
Together they gathered the few things they could reach and loaded
the small life raft. A comforter served as a sack to fill with as many tins of
food as Karen’s arms could carry, a first aid kit, flare gun and a flashlight.
Lorenzo tossed in the water purifier, log book and a few spiral notebooks.
As the water reached the deck they hastily tried to slide the oval raft over
the stern. Catching on something it dangled for a moment in mid air, but
putting a little muscle into it they managed to lower it into the sea. Karen
slid quickly onto the safety of the raft and turned to see Lorenzo securing
the bow line to the Mysteria.
“Are you crazy?” She shouted. “What the hell are you doing?”
“There are still a few things I can get,” he yelled back. “Things we
need. Besides, I can’t leave her yet. She’s my whole life Karen, I just can’t
leave her yet.”
“Make it quick skipper, I am not going to be pulled down by a
sinking ship just because you want to say goodbye.” The few minutes she
watched her husband seemed like an eternity to Karen, and then she
screamed again, “Get in now Lorenzo, or I swear I’ll cut the line myself!”
“Okay,” he said grudgingly, “I’m coming.” As he pulled in the
twenty foot line the heavy swells tossed the small lifeboat, knocking it
against the stern of the sloop. Suddenly a gush of air escaped from the raft.
Karen looked down in horror as one end deflated beneath her. Even before
she could react, there was a small popping sound as a rush of air filled the
backup chamber. In no time the raft was once again solid and bobbing
against the stern of the Mysteria. Carefully, Lorenzo handed Karen the last
few things he had managed to salvage for survival, then lifted his heavy
frame onto the overloaded raft and shoved hard off the sailboat, distancing
themselves from the doomed yacht. He was weeping openly now,
unashamed at the tide of emotion that swept over him for this long and
loyal friend. Lorenzo had sailed her for nearly twenty-three years and now
after only twenty minutes he watched helplessly as she sank to her death.
The whales had mysteriously vanished, the sea was no longer a bubbling
cauldron of black fins. Karen and Lorenzo held each other tightly and
watched silently as the last bit of the Mysteria slipped beneath the water.