SS Pacifica

by Coleinger, Ronnie

  As we crawled under the covers around midnight, Becky snuggled her body up against my back and wrapped her arm around my waist. She whispered in my ear, “I am sorry that June cheated on you and broke your heart. I love you and will never cheat on you, not ever, for any reason. I will make you a promise right here and now. If I ever decide this marriage is not working, I will look you in the eyes, and tell you face to face that I need out of the marriage. I will never cheat on you, my love, never.” I felt her warm tears on my back and turned over to face her. I pulled her close to me and hugged her until her emotions calmed. I kissed her forehead and said, “One of the reasons I love you so much is that you are very honest with me and you speak your mind. I did not think a man could find a second soul mate in his lifetime, but my God seems to have blessed me with a miracle.” As we cuddled, Becky fell asleep in my arms.

  ***

  Our trip to Honolulu was exciting and we had a very good time with Uncle Pika and Elizabeth, but we were itching to get back to the Pacifica and begin the second leg of our adventure. We said our goodbyes on a Wednesday morning and launched our dinghy towards the east where the Pacifica awaited our return. As we paddled the dinghy, Becky asked me if I had enjoyed our visit on Oahu. I told her that I enjoyed being with Uncle Pika and Elizabeth, but I thought their lifestyle was not adventurous enough. Becky giggled and said, “I think that when we get to their age we will want to slow down and live in one place and maybe retire there. For now, I would go insane living on the islands. The world is my sandbox, and I want to play in every corner while I am still healthy and wealthy.” I chuckled at her words, and reminded her that we were no spring chickens anymore. She turned her head around to look back at me and said, “Are you saying I am getting old?” I laughed and said, “No, you are getting better as you mature, just like a fine wine.” She smiled and returned to paddling the dinghy. As we got near the Pacifica, we realized there were seagulls all over the deck, along with feathers, and horribly disgusting bird poop. I laughed until my sides hurt over the pie tins banging together in the wind from the masts. Becky, turned around to me and said, “I think they like the pie tins and the noise. Maybe they think the pie tins and noise will keep humans away.”

  It took us almost an hour to clean the sun-baked mess off the hull of our home. When things were back to normal, we brought up the solar panels and began charging the batteries while the sun was high in the sky. We had checked the weather forecast and knew that a small storm was due in by evening and we intended to move the Pacifica out into deeper water by mid afternoon. The cabin smelled musty when we had returned and we did not know why. True, we had left the cabin closed up for a few days, but it should be dry inside and not smell musty. Then Becky realized that we had hung our wet beach towels over the ladder rungs of the bow hatch and the towels were moldy. We took them out onto the deck, washed them in seawater, and hung them up in sun, hoping that the sunshine would kill the mold and quickly dry the towels.

  By one o’clock in the afternoon, the towels were dry and smelled better, but we decided to leave them outdoors for the rest of the day to fully air out. The clouds were beginning to move in and the sunshine faded from time to time as the sun moved behind a cloud or two, but the air remained very warm and then turned humid. The batteries needed a few more hours to fully charge. The side and stern lights had partly drained the batteries after five days of being on at night. We decided to move one of the generators up on deck and quick charge the batteries before the rain moved in later this evening. If we had to submerge during a storm, we wanted the batteries fully charged.

  While I moved the generator up on deck using the stern hatch, Becky began moving the sails, mast posts and hardware up on deck to rig the sails. We intended to move north towards the Musicians Seamounts northeast of the Hawaiian Island chain. We wanted to visit the Seamounts as we moved towards the Midway Islands. Then we wanted to work our way south on the windward side of the Northwestern Leeward Islands. We hoisted the anchors, cleaned and stowed them, and then rigged the sails. As we sailed, we could see the storm clouds approaching from the port side of the Pacifica.

  The clouds had begun to look very stormy so I checked the Coast Guard Marine advisories and found out that the storm would be very intense and last for most of the night with heavy rains, hail, and intense lightning. We were in water that was around sixty feet deep and the bottom was flat and sandy. I mentioned submerging for the night and riding out the storm on the bottom of the sea. Becky’s eyes lit up and she quickly agreed.

  Tomorrow, if the weather remained stormy, we would run the Pacifica submerged. This would give Becky and me an opportunity to see if we had properly outfitted our vessel to run under water for any length of time. We had the sonar system that would map the bottom so we could see what was ahead of us as we ran the propulsion motors.

  We decided to fish for our supper. While I brought one of the diesel fuel cans up on the deck to refuel the generator, Becky, brought up a fishing pole and baited it with more of the pork rind (which we had purchased three more jars of while on Oahu), and began fishing. I laughed aloud when the girl had a fish flopping around on the deck within ten minutes time. It was as if she could talk to the fish and convince them to bite her bait. She had some type of magic touch with a fishing pole. I filleted the fish while she brought up the camp stove, frying pan, and utensils. By the time I had washed the fuel container with sea water to make certain none remained on the outside of the container or the generator, the fish was ready to eat. I brought up four eggs and we cooked them in the frying pan in the small amount of grease left over from frying the fish. As we ate, we heard the constant rumble of thunder off to the west. The storm was still a few miles away, but out on the ocean, the sound of thunder rolls across the water for hundreds of miles. We seemed to giggle and carry on like two kids during supper; I think the excitement of the upcoming adventure and the approaching storm made us both a little giddy.

  The water was beginning to get a little choppy by the time we had cleaned up the supper dishes. We took down the sails and masts and stowed the rigging in the cabin. We were very careful to get all the parts inside the proper cabinets and the doors secured with metal clips. We did not want any objects flying around in the cabin during rough seas or if the vessel capsized as it did when we first crossed the 30th parallel. When everything was ready, we sat on the deck in our chairs and watched the storm approach. Around nine o’clock we decided it was time to head to the bottom. We moved inside and secured the hatch doors, and then we checked the depth of the water and the flatness of the sandbar. As we settled the Pacifica down onto the sand, she wiggled around a little as the five-foot wide flat bottom leveled out. When the Pacifica stopped moving, we were just a few degrees from being vertical. Becky laughed and said, “I fear we will have to sleep in separate beds tonight or we will be rolling into each other from the slant.” I decided to try correcting the tilt by using the ballast tanks to shift the hulls position in the sand. I added some air to the starboard ballast tank, and the Pacifica rolled a little and resettled almost perfectly level. Becky walked over to me and said, “Thanks for that. I hate sleeping on an incline.”

  I turned on the oxygen monitor and pressed the calibration button. Within a few seconds, the buzzer beeped three times, telling us that it was operational and would notify us if the oxygen level in the Pacifica became too low for our safety. We had four large oxygen tanks mounted in racks in the bow and two in the stern that we could use to add oxygen into the air if we should need it. We had purchased two small lanterns that used rechargeable batteries, so we used them and turned off the cabin lights. The lanterns provided about fifteen watts of light each, but it was adequate for most everything we needed. We could always turn on the cabin lights if we needed them for a few minutes to perform a task. I wanted to conserve the charge in the main battery in case we needed it during the night for the propulsion motors and air compressor. I knew that the next few hours would tell us how well we had d
esigned our battery system, and if it was adequate to remain submerged for a few days at time.

  I connected my iPod to the small transistor radio and turned the volume down so it was just audible. The song titled, Faithfully, by Journey began playing. Becky walked up to me and wrapped her arms around my waist. As we stood there, she kissed me hard on the lips and asked, “Are you trying to seduce me?” I kissed her back and said, “Yes.” She backed up a few steps and stripped her clothes off. My mouth dropped open to speak, but she said, “We have had five days of foreplay, let’s get to it.” I pulled off my clothes and joined my wife on the bed.

  During the night, we felt the Pacifica gently moving in the water. I got up and turned on the light so I could see the GPS. The fish finder showed hundreds of fish surrounding the Pacifica. I could see that the school was gently swaying from the storm that raged above us. The fish looked to be slowly dancing in the water for my entertainment. I must have giggled or made some noise because Becky appeared beside me and asked what was so damn funny. I moved over on the chair so she could see the LCD screen. Soon she was giggling over the dancing fish. I had no idea why the fish had congregated around the Pacifica; it must have looked like a safe place to shelter from the storm. As we returned to bed, I heard Becky pass gas. She giggled and said, “Sorry, the food from all the restaurants is still working its way out.” I laughed and said, “At least you did it in your bed instead of mine.” I heard her giggle again, but she was soon asleep.

  The next time I woke, I smelled coffee. Becky had opened a new can of coffee to put into the percolator and the smell of the freshly opened coffee was wonderful. After she had put the coffee pot on the camp stove, I heard her peeing in her chamber pot. I giggled to myself over the wonderful person I had married. Her presence in my life was enchanting. When the coffee finished perking, Becky poured two cups and brought one of the cups to me. She sat it down on the headboard and then sat down on the edge of her bed and stared at me. I sat up on the edge of my bed facing her and asked if she was okay. She smiled and said, “I am fine. I am in love with you and like sitting here looking at you.” I chuckled and said, “That was the way I felt last night as I listened to you sleep. I realized how much I love you and this life we are living.”

  As we sat looking at each other, tears began to run down Becky’s cheeks. I took hold of her hands and asked what was wrong. Then I told her I wanted the truth this time. She looked into my eyes and said, “I have a lump on my breast and I am scared to death.” I kneeled down in front of her and hugged her until she was able to talk to me without crying. Then I asked how long ago she had found the lump. She said, “Last night when we were making love. I squeezed my breast and felt the lump under my nipple. I checked again this morning and it is still there. I would like to sail to Honolulu and see a doctor.” I hugged her and said, “That is exactly what we will do. Let’s not panic, please. I am only a male and do not know everything about breasts and lumps, but I do know that all lumps are not serious, but they do need to be carefully checked and watched.” Becky tried not to cry but said, “This lump is growing very fast because it was not there ten days ago when I checked.” I said, “Yes, but still lumps can grow quickly from changes in a woman’s chemistry and menstrual cycles, only a doctor can tell us the answers to our questions. Let’s surface and check the storm. If we can, we will raise the sails and head for Honolulu. I know it may be difficult, but please try not to panic. There is little we can do until we find a doctor to check you.”

  ***

  It was a three hundred mile trip back to Honolulu. We arrived at the harbor on the third day, and tied up to a large pier where the planes sticking out from the sides of the hull would not hit the wooden support posts. We had run twin opposing sails on both the foresail and mainsail masts to gain extra speed to get here. I was amazed at how well the Pacifica handled with so much cloth hanging on the masts. It was as if the Pacifica knew her Captain was in distress and she responded with as much speed as she could muster. I realized that there was no rush to get to the doctor. A day or two extra was not going to make any difference, but the mental anguish a woman must go through when she fears the word cancer, must be dreadful. As we paid the harbormaster for our birth at the dock, he called a taxi for us that arrived in just a few minutes. As we talked to the taxi driver about the best place to see a doctor, he said, “My wife just had a lump removed and she went to the woman’s clinic on Seventh Street. I think that is the best place for you to start your search for a first-class doctor. My wife was very pleased with her doctor and her care. With your permission, I will take you there.”

  When we arrived at the front desk, a woman spoke to us and we explained that we were from the United States and were sailing the Pacific Ocean. Becky explained her problem and the nurse worked Becky into the afternoon schedule. The woman told us that the cafeteria was on the first floor if we wanted something to eat, and then we could return around half past one this afternoon. Becky hardly ate anything, but she did seem a little more relaxed now that she had an appointment to see a doctor.

  As we returned to the waiting room, the nurse stepped up to Becky and asked her to fill out more forms. While we sat filling out the forms together, the nurse stepped up to Becky and said she could come with her and get ready for the examination. Becky rolled her eyes at me and said, “The doctor is going to probe the same places you did last night, only this time I will not enjoy the attention.” I laughed with her, but certainly understood her words.

  After all the tests were complete, Becky returned to the waiting room with me until the doctor had all the test results back, along with the X-rays. When the nurse came out to get Becky, she asked if I was her husband. Becky introduced us and the nurse asked Becky if she wanted me to join her when she met with the doctor. Becky immediately took my hand in hers and said, “Yes, that would be good.”

  As we sat next to each other on the opposite side of the doctor’s desk, he looked Becky in the eyes and said, “Girl, are you pregnant?” I heard the air leave Becky’s lungs and then she said, “No way doctor, I am on the pill and there is no chance.... Damn, that would explain the sudden lump on my breast.” The doctor chuckled and said, “The blood tests indicate that you might be pregnant, but they are never conclusive. There is also the chance that you miscarried. In that case, the blood tests might give the same results. I will order another test and we will check to be certain of a pregnancy. Now, let’s discuss the lump under your nipple. I want you to relax because it is nothing more than a hormonally produced lump that should shrink and disappear in a few weeks. If you are pregnant, than the answer as to why the lump developed is easily understood, if you miscarried, again the answer is clear. If none of those is true, than we will biopsy the lump and probably find it is either fluid filled, or a lump of fat tissue. I want you to understand that it is not cancer, nor anything else that is going to harm you, but we will continue to do tests and keep a very close watch over your entire body. You simply could be allergic to this man you have recently married.” I saw the tiniest smile cross the doctor’s face. Then I heard Becky giggle.

  The following morning, the nurse called Becky on her cell phone. The tests were in and Becky had miscarried. The doctor wanted to see her again for a complete gynecological checkup before we headed back out to sea. The appointment was for three o’clock in the afternoon. The office had a cancellation and Becky could fill the time slot. Becky hung up the phone and turned to me. She said, “I am not pregnant now, but I did miscarry. I will discuss my birth control pills with the doctor, but we may have to add a second birth control method into our love making.” I nodded and said, “We can stop at the pharmacy on our way back from the hospital and take care of that little problem.”

  As we waited in the waiting room for Becky to be taken in for her exam, we discussed our future. We both seemed to want to continue traveling with the Pacifica, and hoped to visit the Atlantic side of the North America Continent after we rested up from this voyage.
I took Becky’s hands in mine and asked, “Do you wish to have a child, or are you content with your life as it is?” Becky said, “A child in my busy life would not have a stable family life. I plan to travel and continue sailing around the world. I would not want to bring a child into the world that did not have a permanent home and school to provide a stable family life style. I hope my words are not disappointing my new husband, but you asked for my thoughts.” I smiled and said, “The reason I asked is that I am willing to have a vasectomy to prevent a reoccurrence of what you are going through right now. I have raised a wonderful Daughter and I also wish to travel the world and see every country that I can in the years I have left.” Becky looked me in the eyes and said, “I think you should take some time to think carefully about a decision like this.” I squeezed her hands and said, “I have thought about it very carefully and I intend to discuss it with your doctor today unless you have some reason to change my mind.”

  While Becky was in the doctor’s office, I went for a walk. When I returned and sat down, the nurse walked over to me and sat down in the chair beside me. She said, “Stanley, you have an appointment in twenty minutes if you still want that vasectomy. The doctor will perform the procedure today before you have time to worry about it or change your mind. I need to remind you that this procedure is permanent. I have heard of some men who have had the procedure reversed, but usually the procedure is not reversible. I understand you have a Daughter, so you understand how wonderful raising a child really is. I don’t want to change your mind; I just want you to be certain you have thought carefully about your choice.” I smiled and said, “Becky is struggling with the birth control pills, and now I am hearing that in some women the estrogen may cause cancer later in life. Becky has become pregnant and had a miscarriage even while taking the pills. I think the best solution is this vasectomy.” She smiled and patted my hand. She said, “Becky will be finished in an hour or so. I will take you to the men’s clinic when it is time, and I will bring Becky to you when she has finished with her appointment.”