Adventure on the Sea

         The Bitsy Anne was a beautiful Aloha 32 sailboat. As soon as she set her eyes on it, Kelly Dawson loved it. Clare Dawson was not sure he liked the idea of traveling around the world in small 32 foot boat with 213 square feet of living space. He did not like the idea of leaving his home, school, and friends to spend what their parents called “family time.” Six months later, the Bitsy Anne was ready to sail and it was time to say good-bye. With promises to write and e-mail, Dad, Mom, Clare, and Kelly Dawson set sail on a journey around the world.
         
         “Mom!” Clare banged on the door to the head (bathroom). “Kelly’s in the bathroom and she won’t get out. She’s been in there way too long!”
         Mom was cooking bacon and eggs for breakfast. She set down her spatula. “Clare,” Mom said calmly, “you don’t need to yell. Ask her nicely and wait patiently.” She went back to her cooking.
         There was nothing else Clare could do except listen to his mother. His day was not going as well as he had planned. He had not slept well the night before and Kelly had beat him to the head again. Instead of getting angrier, Clare made his way on to the deck.
         His father sat at the tiller navigating the sailboat. “So, I hear you got beat to the head again.”
         “Yeah. No matter how early I try to wake up she always beats me. And I’m so tired. I can’t sleep well at all.”
         “Its just that you haven’t gained your sea legs yet. Just wait. When you get used to the sea, you’ll sleep much better.”
         “I hope so, Dad.” Clare sat in the cockpit next to Dad feeling the cool, morning, sea breeze. He may not be able to spend weeks with his sister but sometimes the call of the sea made all the arguments and disagreements worthwhile.
         Kelly came out of the head a few minutes later feeling refreshed and hungry. After only hours of sailing, she had gained her sea legs and enjoyed every minute since then. She was born for the sea, and she knew it. Now, her brother, on the other hand, did not seem to like the sea as much as she did. Sometimes Kelly just could not understand her teenage brother. For the two weeks that they had been sailing Clare had not been in the best of moods. Kelly found it really annoying and she wished he would not be so angry all the time.
         “Good morning, Mom,” Kelly said cheerfully.
         “Good morning,” Mom said, as she opened the cupboard and took out four plates. “Could you tell your brother that the head is open and tell your Dad that breakfast is ready.”
         “Yeah, sure.” Kelly threw her pajamas into her quarter berth. Then she stuck her head out the companionway. “Clare, the head is open.”
         Clare stood up and squeezed past Kelly. “Thanks.” He rushed to the head to freshen up before breakfast.
         “Good morning, Dad. Mom wants you to know that breakfast is ready.”
         “Great,” Dad said as he began heaving-to, reading the boat to drift so he could eat breakfast below. “Tell your Mom that I will be there in just a minute.”
         In five minutes the Dawson family was gathered at the table and enjoying breakfast. After the morning devotions, Kelly wondered what Dad had planed for the day. “So, Dad, how far are we from our next stop?”
         “Well, I think we should be nearing Nova Scotia. I think we should see the island by lunch time.”
         Kelly was excited. “I've never been to Canada before. Will we be sailing into the Hudson Bay?”
         “You don't have to get so excited. Canada isn't that big a deal. Its not like its different than any of the other docks we've stopped at before.” Clare said. He did not sound excited at all.
         Mom frowned. “Clare, you don't need to be so negative. Be happy for your sister.”
         Clare just rolled his eyes. He got up and put his empty plate in the sink and sat back down.
         When Dad had finished his breakfast he said, “Who wants to help me get the boat sailing again?”
         “I do!” Kelly jumped up, put her plate in the sink and headed for the cockpit.
         Mom got up and began clearing the table. “I'll be up as soon as the galley is clean. Clare, can you help me?”
         A few hours later the Dawson family was well on their way to Nova Scotia. Kelly loved every minute of it. There was so much to do and learn. It was a good thing that Dad was an experienced sailor because Kelly would not have known what to do. Now, after two weeks of sailing, Kelly had an idea of what she was doing, but she still needed Dad's help.
         Clare, on the other hand, knew how to sail. He liked it, but would have rather been at home, hanging out with his friends. He did not like how his younger sister always asked stupid questions. What he liked was the sound of the wind in the sails and the freedom of the sea. Kelly's stupid questions and loud laugh ruined the atmosphere. Sometimes she was so annoying.
         By noon the Dawsons were sitting in a small cafe in Liverpool, Nova Scotia eating lunch. After lunch they walked through the town and Kelly found a bookstore where she bought a book. Clare and Kelly headed back to the boat because Clare was really tired and Kelly wanted to start reading her new book. Mom and Dad decided to continue walking around Liverpool.
         As Clare and Kelly walked along the dock the wind picked up. Kelly thought it was strange. “Clare, do you think there will be a storm?”
         “No.” Clare did not really care either.
         As Clare and Kelly settled in to relax, the wind began to pick up and clouds developed over the horizon. Two hours later Kelly was pulled out of her book by the sound of rain falling through the companionway and her brother's whining. 
         Clare was woken up by the tossing of the boat and he was not happy to see water all over the floor. “Kelly, didn't you hear the rain?! Couldn't you have closed the companionway?”
         Kelly thought it was mean that he would blame her. “No. I didn't notice it until now.”
         Clare slipped on his coat. “Where's Mom and Dad?”
         “I don't know.” Kelly responded as Clare headed up the companionway into the rain. “Hey, where are you going?” She put on her coat and followed him.
         Clare was not prepared for what he saw. Neither was Kelly. Rain fell in sheet, tossing the Bitsy Anne all over the place. The sky was dark in all directions. Worst of all, there was no dock! Not even the faint outline of land! Clare and Kelly were lost at sea!
         As soon as the siblings were below and the companionway door was closed, Clare said, “What happened? Shouldn't you have been paying attention.”
         “No,” Kelly defended herself. “I was reading my book. I didn't think the Bitsy Anne would float off.”
         “You probably didn't tie the knots right,” bamed Clare.
         “I didn't tie all the knots. Don't blame me for everything that goes wrong.”
         “I don't blame you all the time.”
         “Yes you do!”
         “No I don't!” Just then the boat rocked hard to starboard and Clare fell against the stove. “Ow!” His hand was cut from where it had rubbed against the stove.
         “I'll get the first aid kit,” Kelly got a band-aid and helped clean up the cut. “What do we do, Clare?”
         “I don't know,” Clare could hear the wind howl and the rain beat down on the Bitsy Anne. “But you can't be a baby, Kelly.”
         “I'm not a baby!” Kelly defended herself.
         “Well, sometimes you are,” Clare said as he headed toward the navigation area. “We need to use VHF radio and get some help.”
         “Can't we just sail back to Liverpool?”
         “Are you stupid?! Nobody would sail in this weather!”
         “You don't have to yell at me! I don't know this stuff!” Tears started forming in Kelly's eyes.
         Clare felt like crying too, but there was not way he would cry in front of his sister. He had to stay focused and get help. Kelly's crying wasn't helping. “Kelly you better stop crying.”
         “I'm scared, Clare! The boat could capsize or we could crash. I want Mom!” Kelly sat on Clare's berth and started sobbing.
         Clare felt the same way. He sat down next to his sister. “I'm scared, too,” he admitted quietly.
         “Really,” Kelly said seeing her brother through new eyes.
         “Yeah, but we have to keep our heads if we want to make it out of this. I think we should pray first.” Clare knew that if they made it out of this it would be only by the help of God.
         “You pray. I don't think I'm brave enough.”
         “O.K.,” Clare bowed his head. “Dear Lord, please help us out of this. Please give us the courage to make it through the storm. Please help us to get along and please be with our parents. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.”
         “Amen.” Kelly affirmed. “Now what do we do?”
         “We send a distress signal.” Clare went to the navigation area and turned on the VHF radio. he tuned it to channel sixteen just like Dad had taught him before they left on the sailing trip. “Mayday,” he said into the radio. “This is the Bitsy Anne. We are two minors lost at sea in the Nova Scotia area. Repeat. This is the Bitsy Anne and we are two minors lost at sea in the Nova Scotia area.”
         Kelly flipped on the distress lights while they waited for a signal. Ten seconds went by, then fifteen. “What if no one answers?” Kelly asked.
         Just as Clare was about to answer the radio crackled and there was a voice. Clare was filled with relief and Kelly smiled. “Um, this is the Green Nessie. No need to worry. We can see ya and we'll get ya to shore.”
         In the next hour the Bitsy Anne was pulled to shore and the rain lightened up. The skipper on the Green Nessie was really nice in helping Clare and Kelly find their parents.
         Mom gave Kelly a big hug. “I was so worried about you.”
         “Mom you shouldn't have worried. Clare knew just what to do,” Kelly said as she smiled at her brother.
         “Well,” Clare said, “Kelly helped, too.”
         Dad patted Clare on the back. “I'm glad you two got along long enough to work together.”
         “You know us, Dad,” Clare tried not to laugh, “we would never fight.”
         Kelly broke out laughing and everyone else joined in.