When we returned to the beach house with the laptop and cell phone, Sandra put the packages in her room and returned to the kitchen to play games with everyone else. When she sat down and joined in, Susanne said, “I figured you would be locked your room with you new computer and phone.” Sandra smiled and said, “I will have lots of time for that. Right now I feel the need to beat all of you at Monopoly.” Susanne giggled and said, “Your challenge is accepted.” Within an hour, Susanne said, “I give up. You have taken all my money. I surrender.” I watched Sandra stand up, put her hands over her head and dance around in a circle. When she sat back down, I said, “And what do you call that little victory dance?” Sandra said, “It is the Susanne shuffle.” I saw Susanne stand up and head towards Sandra. Sandra was out the back door in a flash. Susanne caught her near the boathouse and held her down on her back. While I watched, the two girls began to laugh and soon they were both lying on their backs.
After a few minutes, Sandra stood up and held out her hand for Susanne. When they were both back on their feet, they giggled and talked as they walked towards the house. When Susanne stepped into the kitchen she said, “Charlie, are you ready to head home?” Charlie said, “I guess. I wish I did not have to go to school tomorrow. I hate Mondays.”
As Susanne and Charlie drove out of the driveway, I saw Sandra wave at Charlie. I saw his arm reach out the window and wave back. When they were out of the driveway, I put my arm around Sandra and said, “Company is gone. Shall we tame the laptop monster and then the Droid?” Sandra smiled and took my hand, almost dragging me into the house. We were like two kids as we opened the boxes and connected charging cords and mice.
When Becky came into the room, she sat down and listened while we got the email accounts set up. When everything was running, Becky asked, “Do I need to set parental controls on the porn sites?” Sandra made a face and said, “Once you have done it, watching someone do it on the computer is disgusting.” The words had no more come out of her mouth when she realized what she had said. She looked at me and said, “Sorry for those words, Father. I know that information angers you.” I patted her hand and said, “I guess you have a right to speak the words in your heart in front of us. We are family and will be living in close company for the next few months while we sail the high seas. If I get angry every time my daughter talks about sex and boyfriends, I will find myself angry most of the time. Besides, I want you to say what you think and ask the questions you need to ask.”
When we were ready to sail, we completed our food-shopping list and headed off to the grocery store. When we returned, we worked as a team to pass the groceries up the swim platform ladder and down the cabin ladder. Within thirty minutes, everything was in it proper place and secured.
We had used some of the teak wood we had under the workbench to build another bed. We put it over the cabinet for the water storage jugs and put a curtain rod in front of the bed. Then we hung a lined curtain on a curtain rod so Sandra had a private place to sleep and read. I ran a pair of wires from the batteries to the bed and mounted a light and converter so she could charge her laptop, cell phone and Kindle E-reader. Since the bed was located against the round nose of the bow hull, Becky used this rounded area to build shelves so Sandra had a place to put her belongings, her watch and other things she wanted close at night.
Becky then build a desktop on hinges over the water jugs so that we could swing the desktop up in front of Sandra’s bed, hang it down over the water jugs, or secure it horizontally so it would function as a desk. Then Becky built a small chair that could be stored inside one of the floor cabinets when not in use. With these modifications, Sandra had a comfortable place to sleep and study, a place she could call her own. We had also purchased another diving setup so we had a rescue tank and regulator for Sandra. While we were at the marina, we purchased warm clothing and wet weather gear to keep her comfortable when she spent time outdoors or was standing watch with one of us. We decided to purchase a life jacket and a surfboard life vest for Sandra. We hoped to allow her to surfboard often when we were in a port that had boards to rent.
The following morning, we made certain that all of Sandra’s books and school supplies were on the Pacifica-Two. We did not want to get a hundred miles out to sea and discover we had forgotten something that we could not easily replace. We had filled a cabinet with pencils, markers, paper, notebooks and printer paper and cartridges for the printer. I also purchased eight numbered flash drives for Sandra to use so she could keep copies of her daily work and tests. I did not want any questions from the school administrators about incomplete work when we returned home. Becky and I had also purchased a large logbook where we intended to keep track of each day’s schoolwork and what material was covered. If we did careful documentation, we should have very little trouble with this home school program.
As I raised the anchors, Becky started the motors and moved us out of the canal into deep water. When we set the sails, the Pacifica-Two came to life. I watched Becky and Sandra walk up to the bow and wrap their arms around each other’s waist. I adjusted the rudder so the sails filled and felt the boat lean a little as the wind sent us towards the west, towards New Zealand and Australia. I was now about to begin a new sailing adventure with a wife I loved and a newly found Daughter. I loved this Daughter as much as I loved Dawn, the Daughter I held in my arms a minute or two after her birth. I have fulfilled the dreams I had as a child of sailing the high seas and raising a family. The life I live is a miracle, a gift from my God.
Ronnie Coleinger