It was a scorching hot day on the sparkling, sapphire blue water of Lake Huron. The wind provided nothing but occasional relief from the searing heat. The sun beat down hard on the lake, smooth as glass. Stewart Leavins and his wife, Madeline were sailing their 20-foot sloop, attempting to make the crossing from Michigan to Manitoulin Island, a distance of about 50 miles. Part way across the lake the wind died and left them moving at a snail’s pace. They had sailed greater distances in the past, from Alpena along the eastern shore of Michigan to Port Austin. Also, northwest to Mackinaw City, but never had they taken the bold step of crossing this great lake with no land in sight.
“I told you we should have picked a windier day,” said Stewart with an implication of blame.
“You had the chance to call it off as much as I did,” retorted Madeline.
A couple of hours into the trip the shore of Michigan dipped below the horizon behind them.
“We’ve been out here a long time and made little progress. I reckon we’re about 20 miles out with another 30 to go. Great Duck Island is due north of us, but it’s 20 miles away. With the wind blowing from the west, I don’t want to change direction at all.”
“It’s 2:15 now,” said Madeline. “At this pace it’ll take us ‘til dark to cross.”
“Or longer.”
They were well prepared and had packed enough food and water to last a few days, just in case something went terribly wrong. Of course, they had to make the return trip as well.
Stewart reached into the cooler and grabbed two bottles of cold water and threw one to Madeline in the bow. Madeline removed the cap and took a long drink. “Remember the time we sailed down to Austin and stopped at the winery, just up the block from the beach?”
“I have a couple of those bottles with me now, we should share one later,” said Stewart.
The cool drink motivated Madeline to hang her head and shoulders over the side of the boat to dunk her hair. “Why don’t you jump in? I won’t leave you behind. Besides, you could swim faster than this boat can sail right now.”
Madeline removed her hat and sunglasses and did just as Stewart suggested, diving head first into the deep blue abyss. Disappearing for several seconds before resurfacing.
“Be careful, Maddy.”
“Don’t worry,” she said doing the backstroke away from the boat. Stewart released the tension on the rope allowing the boom to relax and the boat to slow even more than it currently was.
Fifty feet out from the boat Madeline took advantage of Stewart’s uneasiness.
“Please don’t go any further,” he said.
With a sly smile she inhaled deeply and allowed herself to submerge completely until she was well below the surface. An elite swimmer, she turned and swam underwater, resurfacing behind Stewart in the stern.
Turning with a start, Stewart breathed a sigh of relief.
“Why don’t you join me?” she said.
“We can’t both leave the boat. You climb back in and I’ll take my turn.”
Looking refreshed, Madeline climbed back into the boat and Stewart did as he said and took his turn cooling off.
Hours later it was getting on in the afternoon and the wind had picked up a bit, but Stewart figured they still had half the lake to cross. The heat hadn’t let up even though the sun had dropped to a lower trajectory in the sky.
Wiping the sweat from her brow, Madeline pointed ahead to an object she had spotted on the horizon.
“Look.”
“What is it?” Stewart asked.
“I can’t tell yet, but we’re headed straight for it.”
As they approached closer, they could see in the distance an arm waving above the surface of the water.
“It’s someone in the water!” said Stewart.
Once they had cruised close enough, Stewart realized they had come upon a man whose boat had capsized. He was sitting on the overturned speed boat with nothing but the clothes on his back.
“Are you ok?” called out Madeline.
“I’m so glad you found me,” said the man. “I don’t know how long I would have survived out here.”
Pulling up beside the man’s boat Stewart and Madeline reached out and helped him into their boat.
“Thank you.”
What happened to your boat?” asked Madeline.
“I guess I was too sure of myself. I was speeding along and turned too sharply. Before I knew it, I was in the water and my boat had flipped upside down. I’m lucky to be alive. By the way, I’m Will.” He stuck out his hand.
“Nice to meet you Will,” said Madeline. “I’m Madeline and this is my husband, Stewart.”
Will reached out and shook Stewart’s hand. Stewart returned the greeting, but maintained an air of caution, not fully trusting the stranger. He seemed friendly enough, maybe too friendly. It also occurred to Stewart that Will was in very good condition for someone whose boat flipped way out here and had spent the better part of the day floating along, probably never expecting to be found.
Madeline clearly didn’t have the same reservations as Stewart as she made fast friends with Will. Stewart listened with a touch of jealousy as his wife and the stranger hit it off famously. The only good thing Stewart could bring himself to do was to hand a bottle of water and a small snack to Will.
“Thank you, Mate,” said Will.
Stewart felt uneasy with the way Will called him Mate. He didn’t feel like they were mates yet. Will hadn’t earned the right to call him Mate.
“So, tell me Stewart,” said Will, making conversation. “Where are you heading on this windless day?”
“Manitoulin,” said Stewart.
“To do what?”
Stewart took a swig from his water bottle and slapped it down.
“Just for the challenge of crossing the lake.”
“You probably should have chosen a day with wind,” said Will.
“Yeah,” said Stewart, tightening his grip on the rope. “The forecast called for wind. It died on us halfway across.”
“You should have a motor on the back of this boat. You could sure use one in a situation like this.”
Stewart stared coldly at Will, “I have two oars, and we’re sailing, we don’t need a motor.”
“Well, you don’t have to get touchy, Mate.”
Stewart took this to be a step too far by Will. “Will,” he said, “I’ve invited you onto my boat out here because you needed to be rescued. I suggest you don’t make it so I have to kick you overboard. There’s nowhere else for you to go.”
Stewart’s terse words clearly rubbed Will the wrong way and the two of them glared at each other.
“Boys, boys!” Interjected Madeline. “Let’s get along please.”
“She’s right,” said Will. “We can’t be talking like this way out here in the middle of the lake. I’m sorry Stewart.”
Stewart didn’t respond. He pulled the boom a little closer and turned his gaze port side, away from Will.
Hours passed and the July sun was starting to set in the western sky. Still no sign of the Manitoulin shore on the horizon and the wind had died completely. The boat was not moving anymore at all. It was now clear they’d be spending the night on the water.
Thinking ahead, Stewart decided he wouldn’t allow himself to fall asleep with Will in his boat. Not even for one minute.
As darkness fell Madeline lay down across a row of seats to get some sleep.
“Why don’t you lie down on the other seat, Stewart? I’ll watch over the boat,” offered Will.
“No. I’ll be staying up all night. You go ahead.”
“I’ll stay up with you then. I can’t sleep anyway.”
“Looking at my weather app, it looks like a storm is on its way tonight around 3AM,” said Stewart.
“Are you serious?”
“I’m serious,” said Stewart, “Hopefully there will be a good front wind so that storm that can blow us across the lake before it hits.”
Around half past two, as Madeline lay sound asleep on the seats and Will had crawled up to rest in the bow, a cool breeze began to pick up. It arrived suddenly catching Stewart unprepared. The boom swung completely around from port, across the stern and back on the starboard side where he was able to grab it and the rope.
Will sat up with a start.
“We have wind,” announced Stewart. Off in the distance lightning had been streaking through the southern sky for an hour now, and it was clearly getting closer.
“I’m going to sail this thing due east and we should hit Manitoulin in a few hours. Little doubt the storm will hit us before then. We’ll just have to fight it off and hope it isn’t too strong.”
Madeline woke up and looked around, “Thank God we’re moving.”
Stewart grabbed the ropes tight and leaned backward over the side as the wind became stronger. The boat began to cut through the water at a tremendous speed. As the wind picked up, so too did the waves. At first, they were small swells, but before long they grew to five, six, then eight feet tall from the crest of the waves to the bottom of the trough. Stewart dug in, leaned harder and gripped the ropes tighter.
“This is more than she can handle!” yelled Stewart, referring to his boat. “We’ve never sailed in water like this.”
Ready to help, Will crawled the length of the boat to Stewart’s side and grabbed the rope with him to make sure it wouldn’t slip from his hands. The boat was moving across the waves swiftly when Stewart decided to drop the sails.
“We can’t take anymore. I’m dropping the sails.”
“What do we do then?” asked Will.
“We float freely. And take cover as best we can.”
Madeline grappled with her lifejacket and, remembering there were only two, grabbed Stewarts. She reached across Will with it and held it out for Stewart. He was so busy lowering the sails he didn’t notice. Will grabbed the jacket from Madeline and fastened it on himself. The rain began to fall and within moments it came down in sheets. The lightning was getting closer, but had not yet struck in their immediate vicinity. After lowering the sails Stewart sat down and noticed Will in his life jacket.
“Well, help yourself Mate,” Stewart shouted sarcastically over the crashing of the waves. “Take it off and hand it to me.”
“First come first serve, Mate,” said Will.
Stewart stood up in the rocking boat and grabbed the jacket by the shoulder pulling Will up with him. A struggle ensued. Stewart reached back and slammed Will in the jaw just as a massive lightning strike hit the water merely yards away. The sound of the crack was deafening. Will fell over and Stewart fell on top of him. Will lunged his hand upward grabbing Stewart by the neck. Stewart arched his back to relieve the pressure but, Will, a stronger man gripped tighter. Stewart drove his hand into Will’s gut and used his legs to thrust his body upward. Will relaxed his grip and Stewart tumbled backward over the stern of the thrashing boat and into the water, disappearing under the waves. Will jumped up and leaned over the side searching for any sign of him. Lightning struck again close by, casting plenty of light for a moment, but Will could see nothing but the black of the deep water.
Under the boat Stewart held his breath and grabbed onto the keel. In shock, he succumbed to the desperate need to inhale, and sucked in a mouthful of water. The feeling of water entering his lungs was startling and he let go of the keel and floated to the surface at the stern of the boat. He reached and grabbed onto the boat and was able to pull himself up. He could see Madeline and Will leaning over the boat’s bow still looking for him. He managed to pull himself up and over the rail just as Madeline turned and noticed him.
“Stewart!” she shouted.
Will turned and grabbed Stewart again pushing him overboard. Stewart grabbed for the lifejacket and managed to pull Will into the water on top of him. Will, both on top and wearing the life vest was able to dunk Stewart repeatedly. Gasping desperately, Stewart’s lungs filled with water. He went limp as Will let go. A giant wave lifted Will and the boat up and dropped Stewart to its trough. Will watched him bob on the thrusting waves.
Madeline grabbed an oar and reached as far as she could without falling in. Will grabbed on and she pulled him in.
Another wave pushed Stewart back toward the boat. Struggling in the water, he looked up at his wife as another bolt of lightning lit the sky. Madeline was reaching the oar out to him, but she was holding it too high. Stewart desperately tried to grab on, but he couldn’t reach. The last thing Stewart saw was the oar swinging downward and hitting him on the head.
The cool water felt good, the world went black, the storm went silent.
BT
