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“Come aboard,” said Eric, stepping onto the deck and signaling for them to join him.
Charlotte stepped onto the deck and down into the cockpit. Eric had installed a black bimini over the cockpit to provide shade, for which she was grateful.
A delivery boy from the grocery rolled a wagon onto the dock beside them.
Eric greeted him, and then he and Shane off-loaded the ice, drinks, and a couple of bags of snacks into the galley.
Charlotte kept out of their way, taking pleasure in sitting in the cockpit. A breeze fingered her hair, cooling off the nape of her neck. She re-tied her ponytail and pulled it through the hole in the baseball cap she placed on her head.
Eric started the engine, gave instructions to Shane to toss the docking lines into the boat, and then with him aboard, they eased away from the dock.
They motored some distance from the marina, and when at last they had plenty of sea room, Eric handed her control of the helm and set to work hoisting first the mainsail and then the small genoa jib. The southeasterly breeze caught the sails, and flapping noisily, they filled as Charlotte fell off to port onto a close reach.
Eric asked Shane to cut the engine and took over the wheel from Charlotte.
In the quiet that followed, Charlotte listened to the hiss of the water as it caressed the boat's hull moving through it. As always, it was peaceful.
“We’ll go to the end of Tampa Bay, under the bridge and out into the Gulf,” said Eric. “It should be a nice sail north up to Sanderling Cove.”
“Perfect,” said Shane. “Anybody want a beer?”
Both Charlotte and Eric raised their hands.
Shane went to the galley below and returned with three cans.
“Nothing tastes better than a cold beer with the sun roasting my skin,” said Shane. “A slice of heaven.”
“Nothing better,” Eric quickly agreed.
Charlotte sipped her cold drink and looked out over the water to the land around her. Tampa was an interesting place, and this part of Florida was her favorite. Most of the Gulf Coast from St. Pete Beach north to Clearwater Beach was without much indentation—another reason that Sanderling Cove was so unique in the area. Having the sailboat moored in the cove would be a treat for everyone, especially when other family members came to visit.
She glanced at Eric. Because of his red hair and fair skin, he wore a long-sleeved shirt to cover his arms and keep his back from burning in the sun. Beside him, Shane wore bathing trunks and nothing more, his skin already brown. The men had been friends from boyhood and were enjoying the sail together.
Feeling sleepy, aware that things were being handled well, Charlotte gazed out at the water, letting thoughts of work slip away. Not knowing what lay in her future was something different. She’d thought she knew what she’d wanted. Now, she would set aside planning and let life unfold. That thought brought a smile to her lips.
They sailed under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, clearing Fort DeSoto Park. Then they ran downwind to the northwest along the coast.
The breeze grew stronger and shifted slightly to the south.
“We’ll be sailing dead downwind, so let’s allow the wind to work for us,” said Eric.
Shane stood to go below for water just as a sudden gust of wind swirled around the boat. The main boom jibed, hitting Shane on the head and knocking him overboard.
Shocked, Charlotte stared into the rough water where Shane had landed. She waited for him to move, expecting him to swim toward them. She counted to ten, and when he hadn’t moved, she yelled to Eric, who had quickly brought the boat head to wind, started the engine, and was struggling with dropping the sails. Charlotte grabbed a flotation cushion and jumped into the water, keeping an eye on Shane. She was an excellent swimmer. It was one thing Gran had insisted on for everyone in the family.
Swimming hard, she moved through the water. Though she knew it was only seconds, it seemed to take forever to get to Shane.
She grabbed hold of him, turned him onto his back, and rested his head on the cushion to keep his head above water. While Charlotte was swimming out to Shane, Eric steered the boat upwind so he could bring the boat close to where Charlotte was holding onto Shane.
Eric hollered to her and tossed her a life ring, holding onto the line with one hand while keeping the boat heading into the wind.
“Grab hold,” Eric shouted.
Kicking with all her might, she swam toward the orange circle, dragging Shane with her. So far, he hadn’t struggled against her movement. Not a healthy sign.
With one last effort, she grasped the life ring and continued kicking to help Eric pull them to the boat.
“Hurry! Grab him!” Charlotte shouted when they reached the boat.
