Chapter Five
Present: Day One at Sea
“On your life vest, or PFD, you’ll also find a whistle that you can use to signal for help and notify others of where you are.
” Captain Nojan lifts the whistle attached to the life vest he’s donned for the safety demonstration.
“If for some reason your vest doesn’t inflate if you fall overboard, pull on this toggle.
” He lifts the lime-green plastic handle attached to the base.
Still docked at the marina, I stand against the railing on the foredeck between Gigi and Beth, where all four of us are lined up wearing life preservers across from the captain and Adam. I feel beneath the black life vest slung around my neck, making sure it has the toggle Nojan is referring to.
“Safety is my number one concern on this journey.” Nojan scans our faces.
“There are four things I want you to remember. First, when you’re moving about the boat, use one hand to hold on at all times.
I want you to use the old proverb: One hand for yourself, and one for the ship.
” Nojan holds a hand in the air while grasping the shroud beside him with the other.
“Second, always ask my permission to go forward of the cockpit.” He gestures toward the bow.
“Third, always wear your life vest when you’re on deck. ”
I glance at Gigi, who’s adjusting her thin life vest to make sure her cleavage is visible through the middle. Beside me, Beth grips her straps and casts a nervous glance at the water.
“I’m going to need to take mine off while filming my content, though,” Gigi says.
The captain shakes his head. “Not when you’re on deck, you won’t. Even on a good day, the open ocean will be ten times rougher than these protected waters of the Sound.”
Gigi cocks her head, and even behind her oversize sunglasses, she looks unconvinced.
I follow Beth’s wary gaze to the water lapping gently against the hull.
The back of my leg brushes against the thin, low cable railing I heard Nojan refer to earlier as the “lifeline,” although there doesn’t seem to be anything “lifesaving” about the flimsy cable that comes just above the top of my knee.
Nojan grabs a loop attached to the base of his life vest. “After we pass through the Strait of Juan de Fuca and get out to open ocean, you will also need to tether yourself to the ship with a line before moving about the deck. Our charted course will take us over two hundred miles offshore. The first day at sea can be rough for everyone as you get used to the rhythm of the ocean. It usually takes only a day or two to get over the initial seasickness you may feel while your body adjusts to being on the ocean.” He turns to Gigi.
“I wouldn’t expect you to be feeling good enough to be filming much content during that initial period. ”
A day or two? I gaze out at the calm waters of Puget Sound. I’m normally not prone to seasickness, but the only time I’ve been out on the open ocean was on a cruise. How rough is Nojan expecting it to be?
“Why so far out?” Beth asks. “I thought we’d hug the coast more on our way to San Diego.”
“Good question, Beth. The sea state is better, and there are fewer ships, crab pots, et cetera. It’s the most ‘comfortable’ route, if you will.
This boat, the Emerald 55, is the first of its kind to be completed, and there are currently three more in production at the Emerald Wave shipyard on Lake Union.
This ship was designed as a blue-water boat, which makes it optimal for ocean sailing.
I believe you’ll find it quite comfortable once you get used to being out on the open waters. ”
As he continues with the safety instructions, I try not to dwell on all the worst-case scenarios that flood my mind.
My gaze moves up the towering mast and lingers on the weather vane at the top.
I had no idea the mast would be so tall; it looks higher than the boat is long.
I watched a reality show once in which a sailor had to climb to the top of their mast to repair something at sea.
The thought of climbing to the top, even while docked, sends a shiver down my spine.
“Lastly, always be mindful of the boom.” He swivels to rest his hand on the thick gray beam that’s secured perpendicularly from the tall mast beside him at his shoulder.
“Many people have died getting hit by these, either thrown onto the deck or into the water. The boom can swing out ninety degrees across the cockpit on each side of the boat, one hundred and eighty degrees in total. We have something on board called a boom preventer that will keep the boom from swinging too far in the event of an accidental gybe or tack. But—”
Gigi lowers her sunglasses to the tip of her nose. “An accidental what?”
Nojan stands tall as if making a conscious effort to be patient.
“A change of direction. But even with a boom preventer, accidents still happen. So, when you leave the cockpit, keep your weight low by bending at the knees and make sure your head and body are not in the way of the boom when moving about the ship. Understood?”
“Understood,” Emma, Beth, and I chime in unison.
Gigi shrugs.
“Good. In the event we capsize—”
“Capsize?” Beth says, her soft voice rising in alarm.
Thinking of my girls, I nearly grab my bag and leave.
Captain Nojan raises his palm. “Not to worry. I’ve sailed this route over three dozen times and have never had a vessel capsize.
” His gaze flicks to Gigi. “And I don’t plan on starting with this trip.
” He lowers his hand. “But in the rare event that we do, it is important for you to stay with the boat and hold on. It is much easier for rescuers to spot a boat than people floating in the water. We also have a life raft mounted to the foredeck in front of the dinghy, which contains emergency communication equipment.”
I scan the deck near the bow, not seeing any kind of raft.
“It’s kept inside what looks like a large white suitcase,” the captain adds.
Then I see it, but it doesn’t make me feel any safer. If we encounter swells big enough to knock down this large vessel that’s been engineered to stay afloat, how would we all survive in an inflatable raft?
“And like I said”—Nojan’s attention travels to Beth—“when we get out of these protected waters to the open ocean, it will get rough. And I don’t want anyone panicking on my boat. So, if any of you—”
“We’ll be fine!” Gigi swipes her arm through the air for emphasis and sways against Emma, nearly losing her balance even though we’re still docked.
The captain narrows his eyes. “There will also be no falling overboard from having too much to drink.”
“Aye, aye, Captain.” Gigi offers him a sloppy salute before breaking into a giggle.
Captain Nojan frowns, looking at the rest of us. “Any questions?”
“Do these life vests come in any other colors?” Gigi asks.
The captain huffs a sigh and looks to the rest of us. “Any real questions?”
The three of us shake our heads.
Nojan nods. “All right, then we’ll be on our way.”
Ten minutes later, we pull away from the marina.
“Look!” Beth nudges my arm when we near the break wall and motions toward a sea lion’s head protruding above the surface.
“Bon voyage,” Gigi calls over the boat’s other side, blowing a kiss to her assistant filming our departure from the dock.
After we leave the marina, Gigi peels off her mesh cover-up and lies out on the foredeck. Brr, I think, seeing goose bumps form on her thighs. Emma excuses herself below deck to call her site superintendent before we lose cell service.
I settle in beside Beth on the padded bench at the top of the companionway as we turn away from the city skyline and sail north through Puget Sound.
Captain Nojan stands behind us at the stern, steering the boat with one of the two large leather-wrapped wheels while Adam moves between the two risen sails, following Nojan’s orders to trim and ease their tension.
A lump forms in my throat when I spot the roofline of Elliott Bay Hospital downtown, where I nearly killed my last patient.
I look away, twisting to take in the shoreline of Bainbridge Island.
A ferry blasts its horn as it pulls away from the terminal, heading downtown.
“That’s Kristin Hannah’s house.” Beth points over my shoulder.
My gaze follows the direction of Beth’s finger, and I smooth back the hair that blows loose from my ponytail.
“The two-story one with the boat docked in front of it?”
“That’s the one.”
I place my palm on my head to hold back my hair and take in the large, shingle-sided home with forest-green trim settled on a secluded lot on the corner of the island.
“Pretty,” I mumble, wondering what it would be like to be a famous author, waking up to the ocean every morning, probably with a doting husband bringing you coffee.
“I downloaded the first season of Firefly Lane for us to watch on the trip,” Beth says, her dark waves blowing wildly around her round face.
“Oh.” I feign a smile. “Great.”
Beth frowns. “You watched it already, didn’t you?”
I wince. “I’m sorry. I know I promised to wait until you finished the book, but with everything that’s happened lately with Matt and my job . . . I needed an escape.”
Beth’s expression softens. “Well, I guess you’ll just have to rewatch the first season until we get to season two, which I also downloaded.”
I bite my lip. Beth gapes at me.
“Oh my—” She scoffs, swiping a strand of hair off her cheek. “You watched both seasons?” Her jaw drops open in horror. “You did!”
I wrinkle my nose. “I’m sorry.”
She swats me playfully on the arm. “That’s okay. I get it.” She sighs, glancing toward the bow. “I’ll just become best friends with Gigi instead.”
She cracks a smile as I turn to watch Gigi now standing near the bow, holding onto a shroud and staring out at the water. Gigi lifts the back of her hand to her cheek. Was she wiping away a tear?
No, I think, as Gigi’s lips form a wide smile and she angles her phone toward the sky to get her full body into the camera.
We hit a wave from a speedboat cruising by, and I gasp as Gigi stumbles to the side of the boat, dropping her phone on the deck before doubling over on the lifeline’s wire cable.
Adam rushes toward Gigi from the other side of the boat, and I cover my mouth with my hand as Gigi manages to pull herself upright before he reaches her. Beth gasps as Gigi falls to her knees to rescue her phone before it slides overboard.
I keep my fingers pressed to my lips as Adam helps Gigi to her feet. He looks on in amazement as Gigi returns to the bow and resumes recording as if nothing happened. I shake my head, turning around to watch downtown Seattle shrinking in the distance.
“It’s so beautiful out here on the water.” Beth shades her eyes with her hand, eyeing another sailboat going by as my thoughts drift to my girls at home with my sister. I feel a pang in my heart at how much I’m going to miss them these next two weeks.
“You okay?” Beth asks as if reading my thoughts.
“I’ve never been away from the girls this long.”
“They’ll be fine.” Beth pats my knee. “Plus, you can video call them through Starlink every day if you want. And I’m sure they’re having fun with their auntie.”
She’s right. I recall the excitement on their faces when I told them they’d be spending the next two weeks with Aunt Kate.
She’s always spoiled them, since she has only boys.
My girls were so ecstatic, they jumped up and down when Kate promised to take them back-to-school shopping at Bellevue Square later today. They’re probably there now.
My thoughts shift to Matt. Before I can stop myself, I imagine him enjoying a lazy, naked Saturday in bed with his college-aged girlfriend in her crappy one-bedroom apartment. My chest constricts, and I thrust the thought from my mind.
From the corner of my eye, I clock Gigi moving toward Adam who’s standing beneath the sail at the middle of the boat.
“I’ll take another drink,” she yells over the wind. “Hey, Adam? Could you open another bottle of champagne?”
Captain Nojan’s voice booms from the stern. “Not until we maneuver through the Sound. This is a busy channel.”
I turn to see him gesture at the small sailboat sliding through the water on our starboard side before pointing to a cargo ship ahead.
“I need Adam on deck while we navigate the Sound,” the captain says. “If you want a drink before then, you’ll have to get it yourself.”
“Fine.” Gigi huffs and unsteadily makes her way toward the companionway past Beth and me. She pauses when she reaches the steps, casting a look at the two of us over her shoulder. “Anyone else want more champagne?”
I shake my head. “I’m good.”
“I’ll take one,” Beth says, following Gigi below and leaving me alone on the deck with my thoughts and the two-man crew.
I study the snowcapped Olympic Mountains to my left beyond Sequim, then Whidbey Island on my right. We’re flanked by evergreen-covered land on each side.
A pop erupts below deck, followed by a playful shriek from Gigi.
I look down the stairs toward the noise.
Gigi’s mom is a recovering alcoholic, very active in AA for all the time I’ve known her.
Because of that, Gigi hardly touched alcohol in high school.
She offered to be our designated driver on more than one occasion.
I spy the southern tip of Whidbey Island before the boat turns northwest. I think of Gigi’s husband, absent from our send-off. Is Gigi just letting loose or numbing herself from something in her seemingly perfect new life?
I stare straight ahead in the direction of my hometown, dreading the thought of sharing the boat’s close quarters with a drunk Gigi for the next two weeks. If something is eating away at Gigi, I doubt it’s from the new life she’s created, but rather our old one.
The one we’ve never quite managed to escape.