Destination: Unknown: A Desperate Tale Of Survival

by Larry Dodson

  The meeting came to an end. The usual small talk from the group ended as well. They knew there would be plenty of time for that bobbing out at sea.

  Chapter 3

  Departure

  Brandon and Judy couldn’t help but notice the increase in foot traffic meandering around the marina. If this had been the weekend it would have gone unnoticed but today was Thursday. It soon became apparent many of the boat owners were prepping their boats for extended cruising. It wasn’t unusual to see people filling their water tanks, it was however out of place to see them filling up multiple five gallon jerry cans, including anything that could carry additional water.

  Word started circulating from person to person of the widespread panic in the world just outside of the marina. Accounts of desperate people trying to gather supplies to feed their families as well as buying anything they could find to repel potential looters. The total absence of civil authorities to protect life, as well as property, did not paint a pretty picture. The official rumor was the calamity appeared to be nationwide, but in the new world of word-of-mouth information ran the risk of containing more speculation than fact.

  As the afternoon wore on, additional horror stories began to circulate around the marina. Firsthand accounts of lifeless bodies strewn on front entry-ways and lawns shed no clues as to whether they were the victims or the perpetrators. Markets with shattered windows recently liberated of everything edible. People breaking into hardware stores to fortify personal property and numerous fires most likely set out of frustration. It became obvious it wouldn't be long before the waterfront would be invaded next.

  As darkness fell upon the landscape it was Brandon and Judy’s turn to leave the marina. Brandon prepared to cast off Sparrow’s dock lines for the last time. The black plumes of smoke that dotted the horizon during the day now took on an eerie orange and yellow cast. Sporadic gunfire intensified as orderly civilization continued to collapse. A couple of dozen boats had left the marina that day and now it was their turn.

  Shortly after purchasing Sparrow two years earlier Brandon and Judy decided who would do what in order to sail Sparrow as efficiently as possible. Judy would do the helming and take care of her small mizzen sail. Brandon would handle the two working jibs, mainsail, anchoring and any other foredeck duties including casting off. Judy's excellent eyesight along with her keen interest in channel markers freed Brandon to do what he enjoyed most, keeping the sails trimmed and, according to Brandon, avoiding the monotony of steering.

  As Sparrow eased out of her slip, Judy pushed the throttle down as the silent electric motor slowly gained momentum. This is going to be interesting, Brandon thought, as Judy negotiated the last turn out of the marina for the open river. Motoring five miles against the current to clear the river would deplete most of Sparrow's battery power but would not present a long term problem. They could use their solar panel to recharge the batteries the next day. Sailing on the other hand would save her batteries but would take considerably longer to reach the Gulf. How long did they want to spend traversing the river with all the potential threats from both banks? The decision to motor seemed the safer choice of the two.

  As Judy carefully avoided numerous sandbars in the river, Brandon scanned the once well-lit west bank for signs of life. So strange to see the large mansions unlit and vulnerable. No fires, no shots, no nothing. Brandon considered it a good sign as the boat silently made way.

  Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted as Judy broke the silence.

  “There’s a boat coming up fast with no lights on."

  It was obvious the boat was trying not to draw unwanted attention. It might have had its running lights off but the sound of its powerful motor could be heard for some distance. The problem they faced was Sparrow wasn't running her lights as well. The boat was speeding toward Sparrows stern at a high rate of speed.

  Brandon yelled to Judy “We’ve got no choice. I’ve got to turn on the lights.”

  Within seconds Brandon had managed to enter the cabin and turn on the running light switch.

  “It’s still holding course!” Judy hollered.

  For the next few seconds they feared the journey would end in a collision on the river. The instant illumination of an object dead ahead had successfully warned the speeding boat to steer clear as it altered course just enough to pass Sparrow on her port side.

  "Did you see that? The boat must have had twenty people on board.”

  Judy didn't reply as she maintained control of Sparrow as she violently rocked from the enormous bow wake thrown off from the passing boat. Brandon went below and turned the lights off.

  The next few minutes were spent in silence as they neared the halfway point. Brandon not knowing if Judy was speaking to him or to herself whispered, "So far, so good."

  The next section of the river was much wider and with Sparrow’s shallow draft of three and a half feet would give them plenty of sea room to dance around any errant boats fleeing in the dark. Ten minutes later Judy again whispered, “Approaching Desoto Point."

  The popular anchorage was empty.

  "No one on the hook. I guess that would make sense. Only an idiot would anchor close enough for someone to throw a Molotov cocktail at your boat."

  For some reason Brandon found his statement humorous as he let out a slight chuckle.

  The wind was blowing out of the northeast at around 12 knots. As Sparrow’s batteries were drawing down on power it was time to continue the escape by raising sails. Thanks to twin roller furlers Brandon did not have to leave the cockpit to raise both jibs. Loosening her furler lines he easily pulled on the port side jib sheets allowing both sails to fill with air. Judy pulled on the mizzen halyard to raise the small sail up. As she tied off the halyard she quickly trimmed the small sail as Sparrow silently moved through the water. The decision to raise the mainsail would be delayed until they reached the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

  The final challenge to reach the open water of the Gulf would be sailing between Passage Key and Egmont Key, two relatively small islands separated by a narrow channel. Passage Key resembled a large above water sandbar and Egmont Key once maintained a fort to protect Tampa Bay. The fort had been decommissioned years ago and the only full time resident on the island was a Park Ranger.

  "Hope the Ranger got off the Island.” Brandon said, knowing it would be very easy to reach by scavenging small boats.

  Reaching the north end of Egmont Key Judy prepared to tack Sparrow. She kept clear of the dangerous sandy shoals. This would not be a place to be stuck on a sandbar. As Judy eased the tiller to change direction they were startled to see the red embers of a burnt out shell of a boat just managing to barely stay afloat. The calmness that Judy and Brandon had slipped into was instantly replaced by the sudden adrenalin rush brought on by the presence of the still smoldering wreckage.

  "This couldn't have happened more than a few hours ago." Judy said as she feverishly scanned the darkness for any signs of trouble.

  "Yeah, I wonder if it was over fuel." Brandon also adding, “Boats that size can carry a couple of hundred gallons. Imagine getting killed over gasoline, what a trip."

  Whatever the reason, Brandon and Judy had witnessed firsthand the harsh reality and need for constant vigilance in a changing world.

  Brandon let out a deep breath, looked over in Judy's direction and whispered, “Well Judy, welcome to the world of Mad Max."

  Chapter 4

  Rendezvous

  Sparrow made her way through the small northeast swells with rhythmic grace as she distanced a darkening shoreline. The only remaining sign of civilization along the coast came in the form of yellow and orange fires from burning homes that once represented comfort and relative safety. Those lucky enough to enjoy living in a house with an ocean view now found themselves trapped between encroaching chaos and the sea.

  As Brandon adjusted sails to compensate for a minor wind shift Judy maintained a steady course through the dark. She carefully monitore
d the electronic chart plotter for direction, one of the few systems not dependent on grid power.

  “If the plotter ever goes down were going to have to rely on your celestial navigation skills."

  "Yeah” Brandon replied,” the trouble with that is it only takes seconds for the GPS to find our position, and that’s pinning it down to thirty feet. It's going to take me about thirty minutes to take two sights, compute a fix, and then all we can hope for is accuracy of two to five miles so enjoy the chart plotter while it still works."

  Judy thought to herself, two to five miles was still better than not having a clue.

  Normally sailing at night they would stand two hour watches. One would rest or sleep, the other control the helm and keep an eye on the sails. This wasn't going to happen tonight as there was nothing normal about this voyage. Tonight required all eyes on deck until they reached the rendezvous point.

  Brandon took the helm so Judy could go below to fix something for them to eat. Sparrow carried enough provisions to easily feed them for a couple of months. Brandon and Judy usually snacked while they were sailing and saved the more time consuming meals for anchorages. Cooking and eating underway required skills usually reserved for circus balancing acts. You end up with more food in your lap than in your stomach. A few minutes later she returned with fruit, salami, cheese and crackers.

  "Excellent" replied Brandon “He knew they only carried a small amount of perishable food which they would have to eat before it went bad, after that it would be Spam City. Lucky for them they had acquired a liking for Spam as Brandon like to joke, “cook mine medium rare." With over eighty cans onboard its popularity was sure to be short lived. The smell and taste of steak and pork chops would only be consumed in their dreams.

  In addition to Spam, Sparrow housed a full array of canned goods, hot cocoa, dried fruits, peanut butter and so on. A large bag of rice, pancake mix and other "add water" supplies would only be enjoyed with an adequate supply of water. Though Sparrow only carried thirty gallons of fresh water an additional eleven gallons could be supplemented from her separate fresh water cockpit shower in a pinch. Barring a lapse in capturing rainwater she also carried a manual saltwater desalinator as a last resort. Brandon had pretested the water maker and had come to the conclusion it took so much physical energy to produce so little water the best thing they could do was "pray for rain".

  The miles slipped by as they continued scanning the horizon for other boats. On one hand it would be comforting to catch sight of one of the other three boats in their group, but on the other hand, crossing paths with strangers could end up with lethal results.

  Brandon estimated they would rejoin the group in approximately four hours as long as the sailing conditions remained unchanged. Without running lights, getting within visual distance without running into each other could prove dicey in the dark. The worst case scenario of a collision with another boat would be eliminated by waiting until daybreak. The ultimate worst case scenario still remained not finding them at all.

  Forty minutes later Judy spotted something out of place some distance off of Sparrow’s port side. With the aid of binoculars she was barely able to distinguish the distinct shape of a sailboat. The boat was sailing a parallel course, maintaining the same speed and no visible running lights. Was it one of their group? Should they set an evasive course to starboard? They had to decide something fast and in this case fast meant slow, slow Sparrow down. If the unknown boat continued to hold course it could only mean one of two things, (A) it was a member of their group heading for the rendezvous coordinates or (B) they were being paced by the other boat.

  As Sparrow slowed due to Brandon easing the sheets, it soon became apparent the unknown boat was continuing to maintain course and speed. Odds were in their favor it was one of their allies. As the boat became undiscernible in the dark Brandon once again tightened up the sheets in order to resume their previous speed and heading. With tensions easing Judy and Brandon took refuge in the thought that at least one of their group could possibly be waiting to greet them at the rendezvous point.

  Judy, reflecting on yesterday’s meeting, brought up how hard this was going to be on Richard. His wife had died a couple of years back from breast cancer. Raising a daughter all alone would have been tough enough, but now he had to protect her from a volatile unknown future in a violent environment. Both agreed they were spared his frustration with their son actively serving in the Air Force. Whatever lay ahead, at least their son would fall under the protection of the military. Their only concern was how to reunite with him when the country reformed.

  Ten hours had passed since leaving port. The darkness gave way to twilight as the faint features of a barren landscape began to appear.

  Judy, scanning the area ahead of them, turned to Brandon, "Shouldn't we be seeing the other boats by now?”

  "Well, they say you can see about fifteen miles to the horizon, but with this slight haze I wouldn't count on it. According to the GPS we have about six miles to go.”

  As they both scanned the horizon Judy broke the suspense. “I think I see something to starboard at our two o'clock. It looks like a couple of boats. What do you think?”

  After a few seconds Brandon confirmed her sighting. “Yeah, I see it too. I’ll use the radio when we get a little closer.”

  A sense of relief settled over Brandon and Judy as she maneuvered Sparrow toward the bobbing boats. It appeared Richard, George and Mark had all arrived unscathed.

  During the course of the marina meeting they talked about keeping their identities secret over the radio.

  Richard was assigned #1. Mark and LuAnn #2. George #3 and Brandon and Judy #4.

  The reason behind concealing their identities over the radio was to lessen the chance of unscrupulous ears ease dropping on the identity of a particular boat discussing matters of food or weaponry.

  As Sparrow sailed within a quarter mile of the group Brandon picked up the mike and announced, “Number 4, present and accounted for. Walk in the park."

  Chapter 5

  Surprise!

  Brandon and Judy's elation with rejoining the group came to an abrupt halt as Richard announced over the radio, "By the way, George brought two friends to join us.”

  Brandon could sense Richard's statement echoed a slight pensive tone. Red flags were instantly flying at full staff.

  Judy turned to Brandon speaking in a low voice, "Great, we don't even know that much about George and now he's taken on two more people. How much food could he possibly carry on his boat? What's going to happen if he runs out? I think its bullshit he didn't say a word about them at the meeting.”

  Brandon whole heartedly shared Judy's sentiment adding. "Yeah, it looks like Mr. Gunboat just became Mr. Gunship!"

  Richard continued his announcement, "The water is a little too rough right now to raft up so everyone stay within eyesight of each other. Report anything you see on the water. Number 1 out.”

  Casually panning the horizon with binoculars Judy could see Amanda sitting near the helm of Richard's boat. She couldn't tell who was sitting in the cockpit of Marks boat so she nonchalantly turned her attention to George’s crew. She could clearly make out the distinct shape of three men onboard.

  "I don't like this at all. One of his crew looks like a thin man wearing a large straw hat and the other has a husky build. No I take that back, he’s just fat.”

  Brandon knew the addition of two more mouths to feed would strain what food resources the convoy carried. The group could possibly stretch their supplies by fishing, and in shallow enough waters try to catch lobster. Fish or not, Brandon knew when the food runs out it was going to be the beginning of yet another potentially lethal learning experience.

  Not one to jinx a situation, Brandon looking off to the horizon turned to Judy as he said, "Let's just think positive, try to get along and be ready to split if things don't work out."

  Judy smiled as she thought "Which part was positive, getting along, or the getting aw
ay part?”

  Brandon also brought up the fact "Who knows, maybe more people carrying guns could give them additional protection, create a sort of scare factor.”

  Judy lowered the binoculars. "OK, I'll go in with an open mind, but they’re still guilty until proven otherwise."

  They both laughed as she returned to scanning the horizon.

  Brandon and Judy were great at the "what if" game, but feeling exhausted from the overnighter they decided talk of George and his crew could wait until tomorrow.

  Around four o'clock the radio silence was broken with, "This is number 2 the water is starting to flatten. What do you guys think about rafting up for a few hours, over?”

  Mark was right, the sea had calmed down. "This is number 1, I'm in."

  Followed shortly with George and Brandon agreeing as well.

  "This will give us a chance to see what George’s buddies are like.” Brandon quipped as he placed the protective fenders along Sparrow’s starboard side. Being the smallest boat in their fleet, Judy requested tying Sparrow up alongside Mark's portside. She also radioed a request for an end tie. It would not be comfortable seeing Sparrow squashed between two larger boats, and this would give Brandon and Judy an excuse not to tie up alongside George, upon whom the jury was still out.

  After securely tying Sparrow off, Brandon and Judy boarded Mark and LuAnn's boat. The two couples exchanged genuine hugs and smiles. Any signs of nervousness were carefully concealed to promote confidence and boost group morale. Uncertainties would be subject to group discussions at a later date.

  The two couples helped tie off Richard's boat to Mark's starboard side, then rendered assistance to George, who also elected to have an end tie. George was first to climb aboard, closely followed by his newly acquired crewmen.