Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2003 12:16:27 -0800 (PST)
From: mycandlelight_dreams <mycandlelight_dreams@yahoo.com>
Subject: Sailor Boys - Chap 6

THE NORMAL BORING DISCLAIMER: This story is FICTION, and just one of my
fantasies.  Any similarity to real persons is purely coincidental.
Further, this story contains sexually explicit information between an adult
and a teen-ager.  If this type of material offends you, do NOT read
further.

However, if you like these kinds of stories, then read on and ENJOY!

---

CHAPTER 6

---

My peaceful moment was interrupted, as the smallest hand wrapped around my
waist.  "Good Morning, Captain."  I looked down to find my dear, sweet
Jeffy, dressed in his uniform, with absolute love in his deep brown eyes.

"Good Morning, Matey.  I'm about to see the sun rise.  Care to watch it
with me?"  I picked him up and sat him on my lap.  Jeffy leaned back and
laid his head against my shoulder.

Soon enough, the other boys joined us on deck.  The rumbling of the engines
must have woke them, and they all managed to find their way to my
observation area.

Without saying a word, the boys, all dressed in full uniform, sat near me,
as we watched the work of Nature that is a sea borne sunrise.

As the rising sun brightened the day like houselights after a play, I
looked around at my wonderful crew.  Brandon and Andrew were holding hands,
Jeremy and Max sat so close to each other that it was surprising they could
still breath, and the other boys lounged about; all quite comfortable,
peaceful, so innocent looking that I wanted to reach over and kiss every
single one.  Impractical, I know, yet I had this feeling of closeness to
them.  In one way, I felt warmth and love toward every one of the boys.  In
another way, I started to feel like a father might feel, proud and happy.
I even started thinking of them as "my boys."

As I looked around, I would catch a glimmer of an occasional pair of eyes
looking back at me.  I would smile, he would smile, and I'd look onto the
next boy.  I couldn't help it.  At that precise moment, I was utterly and
totally at peace and harmony.  It wouldn't have surprised me a bit to have
all the Angels of Mother Ireland land on my deck and start singing right
then.  Of course, they didn't.  But my heart was singing enough for all of
them.

My harmonious viewing of these little angel-boys was abruptly interrupted
when Thomas, the Devil's spawn himself, let out a loud roaring belch that
sent the entire lot of us into hysterics.  Why is it that whenever boys get
together at a quiet moment, someone in the group has to either belch or
fart, and send everyone falling over with laughter.

I have to admit, I was laughing pretty hard myself, and just seeing those
cute little faces all drawn up and laughing until they were red, was enough
to keep me going all day!

The laughter eventually died down, but not before a significant belching
contest took place.  I was surprised that even my little roommate Jeffy
could pound out some pretty loud ones.

"Come on, Captain," Thomas said as he pointed to me.  "Your turn."

My face turned as red as my hair.  I've never been able to belch on cue.  I
could drink 30 pints of ale, and still not be able to.  As much as I
tried...silence.  However, the boys had a good laugh watching me try
though, so it was good clean entertainment.

Brandon, my wonderful First Mate, brought us back to reality when he asked,
"So, Captain, where are we headed today?"

"Yes, yes, good question, Brandon, thank you.  We're off towards an
outlying Hawaiian island today.  We won't actually reach it today, but by
tomorrow afternoon, we should be seeing land again.  Get your crew
assembled, Brandon.  I want to do inspection first, then hoist the sail,
and try to pick up some of the breeze that's started."  At this, I stood
up, straightened my t-shirt, as though it was a proper uniform, and headed
for the helm.

Brandon looked at his friends, and commanded, "Inspection, guys.  Line up."

The boys quickly assembled in a straight line, and Brandon announced
proudly, "Ready for Inspection, Captain."

"Very good, Brandon.  Very good indeed.  You boys have turned into quite a
fine crew.  I'm proud of all of you."  I began my inspection with Jeffy,
who proudly stood at the end of the line.  I patted down his uniform,
pushed a small piece of hair out of his eyes, patted his butt, and kissed
him on the forehead.  It was a bit much really, but I was going with the
happy mood I was in.  And I really was proud of my boys, and I wanted them
to know it.

Andrew was next, and when I kissed his forehead, his pale skin turned beat
red.  He smiled shyly, and turned his eyes downward at the deck.  "Now,
now, Andrew," I said to him as I lifted his chin.  "No need to feel
embarrassed.  No need for any of you boys to feel embarrassed.  You're all
getting kisses of appreciation from me.  You've done a great job keeping
The Mighty Miss looking tip top, and I want you to know just how proud I
am!"  Andrew smiled bigger and the redness gave way to his pale skin once
more.

Down the line I continued, patting each of them on the butt, and planting a
small kiss on each forehead.

As before, Brandon held the end of the line.  As Brandon was almost as tall
as I, it wasn't as cute to kiss him on the forehead.  So, after I patted
his tight wonderful butt, I threw my arms around him and hugged him.  He
returned the hug, and my heart melted.

"Crew?"  I said as we broke our embrace.  "You look excellent.  Let's shove
off."

With that Brandon began yelling commands, and the boys responded as fast as
Brandon could yell them out.  "Hoist the anchor, lift the main sail, ready
the guidelines."  Each team carried out their tasks with precision.  My
boys performed on my ship better than any adult crew I had ever seen.  With
these kids, there was no petty fight about who was in charge, or whether or
not any duty was good enough for him.  They just did it.  No questions,
they moved to Brandon's direction, and as I watched Brandon command, I
knew, now more than ever, that my decision was justified.

With the warm wind picking up pace, the sails filled, and The Mighty Miss
began to gain speed.  She sailed across the small ocean waves with ease,
and only a slight tilt here and there was noticeable.

"Brandon?"  I yelled to my First Mate.

"Yes, Captain," he responded as he ran to the helm.

"Tonight, we'll need to swab these decks.  Don't want that seawater warping
the wood.  Assign sections to the teams tonight.  I'll let you know when,
but be thinking about where you want each team to work.  And remember who
needs to work with whom."  I winked at him as I said this last part and
Brandon knew immediately what I meant.  The sleeping arrangements that I
had made would now be applied to just about every aspect of the remainder
of the voyage.

"In the meantime," I continued.  "Take the helm.  It's time a handy First
Mate knew how to pilot this ship."

The gleam that overtook Brandon's eyes was something from a fairy tale.
Bright, proud, and yet surprised, all at once.

"Now then, take the wheel," I instructed as I let go of one side.  "That's
it...a light but firm grasp.  No reason to kill yourself on this.  That's
it...easy does it.  Small, but steady adjustments.  Good.  You're getting
the hang of it."

I held my side of the wheel for another 5 minutes, and although it was like
having training wheels, Brandon didn't seem to mind.  He knew he was
piloting, and his heart filled with joy.

"Good.  I'm going to let go, Brandon.  She's all yours.  Remember how I
showed you.  No sudden movements.  Understand?"

"Yes, Captain.  Yes, Sir!"

I let go of the wheel, and it bucked under his grip.  It only took him a
moment to realize the incredible strength The Mighty Miss had.  Brandon
grasped the wheel tighter and I could see his knuckles start to turn white.
"Easy, Boy," I said as I placed my hands on his.  "Ease up a bit.  Don't
want you losing the feeling in your fingers.  You can still control it."
Brandon lightened his grip, and I released his hands.  He was truly getting
the hang of piloting and doing quite well.

"Steady on this course, Brandon.  I'm going to check on the crew.  The helm
is yours, Mate."  With that, I patted his butt, and headed for the front of
the ship.

As I turned back to peek at Brandon, his smile had given way to a serious,
but pleasant look.  He wanted to make me proud, I could tell.  But, he
already had.

I continued moving toward the front of the ship, when out of the corner of
my eye, I spotted Jeremy and Max.  The rest of the crew was hard at work,
but these two boys had decided to take a break from their duties.  They
were standing face to face, in a rather dark corner near the strongholds,
and if I hadn't been looking around, I might have missed them all together.

As I drew closer to them, I could see them locked in an embrace, their lips
tightly together.  "Uh, hmm," I cleared my throat.

The boys froze and stared at me.

"You boys are supposed to be watching the left guidelines, aren't you?"

"Um, yes, Sir," Jeremy responded.  It was the first and only time I ever
saw fear in his eyes.

"Well, then, let's get to it.  They'll be plenty of hand holding time
later.  Understand?"

"Yes, Sir," the boys responded in unison, and scurried out of their quiet
nook and resumed their posts.  I smiled to myself.  I knew that their
hormones were dictating their direction more than their brain, but I had to
maintain some order on the ship.  It was then that I decided some late
afternoon swimming might be in order for these boys.  We wouldn't make land
today anyway, so may as well let them have some fun.

Morning gave way to noon, and as the sun beat down directly upon us, I
could see that the boys were beginning to tire.  I returned to the helm,
took over the wheel, and gave my instructions to lower the sails.  I'd let
The Mighty Miss drift as we enjoyed lunch, which would give these boys and
their tender young skin a break from the heat and sun.

The commands were followed, and in a very short period of time, we were no
longer cruising, but quietly drifting.  I locked the wheel in place, as to
not lose our direction too far off course, and commanded that lunch be
prepared.

With lunch over, and the loss of a good hour and a half of strong sailing,
I was anxious to get moving again.  Commands were given, sails lifted, and
the ship was once more sailing along.

The evening sunset off the side of the ship was not as spectacular as the
morning's miracle, but enjoyable nonetheless.  Brandon switched the teams
around so everyone could enjoy some portion of the sunset, and soon enough
it was dusk.  Our trustworthy wind had died down, and we had slowed to a
steady but not very progressive speed.

"This is it," I thought to myself.  "Drop the sails, and lower the anchor!"

"Aye, aye, Captain," Brandon responded immediately.

With the ship secured, I made my announcement.  "Gentlemen," I started; all
eyes were upon me.  "You've done an excellent job today.  But I think some
fun is in order."  With that, I opened the all too familiar towel hold.

Several whoops and hollers as the boys knew it was swim time!

"Let's try to keep the water IN the sea this time, shall we?"  I pointed to
the deck, and the salt outlines from the days over spray.  "After your
swim, Brandon will assign deck duty."  I nodded at Brandon, who immediately
began stripping his clothes from his sweaty body.

The other boys followed, and in no time, naked butts were flailing off the
rail into the cool, blue ocean.

"Whoa, check it out," Binder yelled as he pointed away from our ship.  As
the rest of us looked on, a school of whales had surfaced, with their
blow-holes spraying water around them.

The boys fell silent and watched in awe as the whales swam past our vessel.
Although they were quite a few feet away, the waves they caused reached the
boys in short order.  Even I had to stop and admire the incredible beauty
of these magnificent animals, so large and yet so graceful.

The whales soon swam out of sight, as the sun disappeared from the sky.
The twilight left behind made the water the boys were in seem dark and
mysterious.  I let the boys swim for a few more minutes, and then called
them up, and just as before, wrapped each tender wet body with a huge
towel, patting them on the butt as they past me.  Only Thomas came out of
the water with an erect dick, and I realized that the boys were getting
more and more comfortable with me, and with each other.  This realization
made me smile at them.

After I wrapped Jeffy in his towel, he sat next to me waiting for me to
finish my towel duty.  Not surprisingly, Brandon was the last out of the
water, insuring that each boy made it back on ship safely.  After wrapping
him in his towel, and sending him on his way, Jeffy stood up next to me,
curled his finger directing me to lean down, and as I did, he kissed me.

I hugged the cute little angel boy, and patting him on the butt, sent him
to change with the others.

Moments later, back on deck in dry, clean uniforms; the boys scurried about
wiping down the deck as directed.  In a manner of 45 minutes, the deck was
immaculately clean.  It would have shined, had the sun shown upon it.  I
asked Brandon to once again assemble the boys on deck.  "I have a special
treat for you gentlemen," I began my announcement.  "Tonight, we'll be
sharing a bit of ourselves."  The boys looked around, curiously.

"I've grown rather attached to you boys, and I know some of you have
developed your own attachments."  Andrew blushed again, and Max lowered his
head.  "But," I continued, "I don't really know much about you.  So,
tonight, we'll gather downstairs in the main room, and we'll open up about
who we are."

---

Now, I have to admit, that the idea of opening up to these boys was a bit
scary, so I could well imagine how nervous they must have felt.  All of us
made ourselves comfortable on the two half moon shaped sofas in the main
room, and just before seating myself, I lit a few candles, and lowered the
lights.

Now, looking around the room, the boys appeared as silhouettes, more than
real shapes.  If anyone got embarrassed, I didn't want anyone else to know.

"Who would like to go first, and tell us a little more about yourself.
Where you live, how you met some of the other boys here, that kind of
stuff.  Or, whatever comes to mind."

No one moved.  No one volunteered.  I could go first, I thought to myself,
but then what.

I did something then, which I had never done before, nor have done since.
I broke a cardinal rule that I had established on the sea.  I rose from my
seat, walked to a locked cabinet at the end of the room, and produced a
dark colored bottle from it.

"It seems we need to loosen things up a bit, and I think this may just do
the trick."  With that, I held up the bottle to the boys.  "1953 Cognac,
the last of it, actually.  Haven't touched the stuff in several years."  I
pulled the glass stopper, and the aroma hit my nostrils, sending an almost
instant intoxication to my brain.  "Oh-ho, yes.  I remember you, Sweet
Miss," I said as I inhaled the fumes.

"We're a team, I continued.  All of us together, all of us a part of each
other."  I took a small swig from the bottle, and as the satin smooth
liquid cascaded down my throat, it's warmth left a trail behind it.

"Each of you, may, if you like, take a small swig.  Just a small one mind
you, I don't run a booze barge here.  Then, pass it along."  My father
allowed us a small drink or two when I was a lad, and it certainly never
did me any harm, so I couldn't see the harm now.  And, I thought, maybe it
would break the tension in the air.

As the bottle was passed around, all the boys except Thomas and Binder took
a small sip.  Even my little Jeffy sampled the vintage Cognac.  When the
bottle returned to me, I reinserted the glass stopper and replaced in the
cabinet, locking it back up.

As I returned to my seat, Andrew spoke up.  "My parents are getting
divorced."

Well, this wasn't exactly what I expected, but then, these boys have been
full of surprises since day one, so I shouldn't be so shocked.

Andrew continued, "It totally sucks.  When I told my mom I was gay, she
just hugged me and told me how much she loved me and that it didn't matter.
I figured my dad would act the same, you know?"  Andrew looked around the
room.  Each of these boys had a story to tell, and could instantly feel the
frustration and hurt in Andrew's voice.  "But, he totally freaked.  Started
asking me where he went wrong and shit like that.  He said things like 'I'm
not having a little fag in my house.'  Mom tried to shut him up, but it was
no use.  Then, the two of them got into it.  Oh man, it's been awful!"
Andrew hung his head, and I could tell by the slight stutter in his voice,
that he had been thinking about this a lot, and this was a great release
for him.  A single tear rolled down his left cheek, and just as I was about
to get up to comfort him, Brandon rose up, sat next to Andrew, wrapped his
arm around Andrew's shoulders and pulled him tightly to him.

"You listen to me, Andrew," He said commanding Andrew and the entire room.
"You're a great person, and I love you, Andrew."  Brandon stopped for a
moment, realizing that he had uttered these words out loud in front of his
other friends.  Shaun had known for a while that his brother and Andrew
were tight, but up to now, the issue wasn't talked about.  Shaun smiled at
Brandon, which gave him the courage he needed.  Brandon continued, "Shaun
and I didn't have to deal with that shit, Andrew.  We told each other
first, and laughed like crazy about it, cuz we were scared the other
wouldn't accept it.  A few weeks later, Shaun and I told mom together.  She
was totally cool with it, and even said she suspected we were, but didn't
want to say anything.  That night, at dinner, mom, Shaun and I all told dad
together.  Don't get me wrong, it wasn't like my dad was proud of us or
nothing, but he wasn't mean about it.  I think at the time, he thought
Shauny and I would grow out of it, but he knows now, it's just who we are.
It's who you are, Andrew.  And you can't blame yourself for the divorce.
Got it?"  Brandon lifted Andrew's chin, wiped the tears from Andrew's pale
face, and planted a small kiss on his lips.  "I love you, and no one is
ever gonna hurt you while I'm around."

Andrew hugged Brandon tightly, and for the rest of the evening, stayed in
Brandon's arms.  I have to admit, my eyes were wet as well.  I remembered
my childhood, and how my father would have castrated me rather than hear I
was gay.  But then, it was a different time, a different generation.  Both
my parents went to their grave never knowing the real me.  The thought of
it made me sad inside.

Max was next to speak.  "It's no big deal, Andrew.  My dad's been divorced
twice already.  He just buries himself in work and leaves me to take care
of myself.  At least you've got a mom who loves you.  My mom blasted out of
the house when I was still little.  It's just me and dad, with an
occasional bitch around to keep him happy."

I instantly understood the tension between Max and his father that I had
seen when he first boarded my vessel.

"Besides," Max continued.  "As long as we got each other, ain't nobody
gonna fuck with us!  There's something else you guys should know."  Max
then put his hand on Jeremy's.  "Shaun was right.  Jeremy and I are
boyfriends, and I love him."

My sadness turned to immediate joy.  This was a huge step for Maximillian,
and I knew it.  Jeremy knew it, too, and hugged his boyfriend tightly.  "I
love you too, Max," Jeremy said.

"Well, this is turning out all right," I said proudly.  "How you holding
up, Andrew?"  I looked over at him, and he smiled back at me.

"Better, thanks."

"Good.  Who wants to go next?"

Thomas, my little trouble maker, spoke up.  "What about you, Captain?
What's your story?"

Ahhh, nothing like forcing my hand before I'm ready.  Leave to Thomas, I
thought to myself.

"Well, let's see.  First, I should tell you I'm gay.  I have been all my
life.  But, unlike you boys, my parents never knew.  My dad, I'm certain,
would have killed me.  I was raised in Ireland, and came to states with my
parents, during the country unrest several years ago, way before any of you
were born.  The Mighty Miss is the only thing I have from their estate,
which is why I'm so protective of her.  She's been my soul mate, and
watches over me, as much as I do her!  I first met Brandon on a trip his
parents arranged last year.  When he came to me about this trip, I was only
too happy to do it.  Brandon was the most respectful and sweet boy I ever
had on my ship, and although I suspected he was gay too, I never said
anything to him about it."

Brandon nodded his head in agreement, and I could see he was a little bit
embarrassed over my sentiment towards him.

"So, here we are," I continued, "on this wonderful voyage, with no one to
judge us, or hate us, or be mean to us.  I've told you boys that I'm proud
of you.  It's true, I am.  You've handled The Mighty Miss better than I
could have hoped for.  You've become a team and worked together really
well.  It's because of you boys that this trip has been so wonderful.  So,
thank you."

I was beaming with pride.  I couldn't help it.  Everything I said was true
and more.  I was falling in love with my crew.  And my heart knew that
although our time together was going to be short, it would provide a
lifetime of memories for me.

Jeffy wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tightly without saying a
word.  That little 9-year-old boy could melt the heart of the hardest ogre!

Our sharing continued through the late hours of the night.  The boys were
sharing their dreams, their likes, their dislikes, who they thought was
cute on television, the places they had been on vacation together,
everything and anything.  The ice was broken and there wasn't a single
thing these boys weren't afraid to share with each other.

As Binder finished telling us about his conversation with his parents about
being gay, I looked at the clock on the wall, which read 1:00 AM.  In the
spirit of the camaraderie, I had completed lost track of the night.

"I hate to break up the party, Gentlemen, but the morning is fast
approaching, and I would like to get us to Satan's Face before tomorrow
night."

I turned up the lights a little, and the boys began moving toward their
respective cabins.  As each boy passed me, I gave him a hug and said good
night.  Jeffy was last in line and as I hugged him, he whispered in my ear,
"I love you, too, Cappy!"  ---

Morning came all too quickly, and when the alarm buzzed at 5:00 AM, I had
trouble opening my eyes.  All I wanted to do was go back to sleep.  But, if
there's only one thing the sea has taught me, it's that the morning waits
for no one.

I hopped into the shower and lowered the temperature hoping the cooler
water would help wake me up.  I not much of a coffee drinker, so my morning
shower is my "caffeine fix."

As I began to lather my chest and arms, I was startled by two soft little
hands across my butt.  I turned quickly to see Jeffy standing in the shower
stall behind me.  He had snuck in without my even noticing.  "Good Morning,
Jeffy," I said as I tried to bring my heart rate back to normal.

"You left without me," his cute little eyes shining up at me.

"I thought you might like to sleep in, since we got to bed so late last
night."  I smiled at him and gave him a hug.  As I broke our embrace, I
could feel my dick begin to stir.  "But, since you're in here, turn around
and I'll wash your back."

Jeffy turned and as the water cascaded down the tender white cheeks of his
ass, my dick rose to full attention.  I lathered up his back and gently
caressed his skin up and down.  With each pass, I drew closer and closer to
the two small cheeks that I was staring at.

Finally, I drew my hand across his butt, and Jeffy lay his head back
against me.  I brought my hand around his body, and reached down below his
stomach.  I was surprised to find that Jeffy was hard but his dick head was
still hidden by its protective sheath.

I pulled on it gently, and as I slid his foreskin back, Jeffy moaned ever
so slightly.  I began moving his foreskin back and forth as the water
showered over our bodies.

The soap on my chest had begun to drain to my lower body, and as it moved
across my dick, it provided a wonderfully slick coating.

Jeffy pushed back against me, and I felt my now slippery cock slide between
the glorious ass cheeks I had been massaging only moments earlier.  As I
continued to stroke Jeffy's dick, he continued to move his body back and
forth across my excited cock.

I knew Jeffy was too tight to take me inside, but the feeling of having my
dick between his tender young legs was wonderful.

As I continued finger-stroking Jeffy's 3-inch dick, I moved my other hand
across his tender chest.  I reached down and began kissing his head.  He
was allowing me to take him anyway I wanted, and I was enjoying our moment
together.

My aching cock wanted to cum so badly, that my balls began to ache as well.
I lowered my head to Jeffy's ear.  "Do you like what I'm doing?"

"Mm, hmm," he moaned as he continued rocking back and forth.  In just a few
moments, Jeffy began to buck wildly.  He was still too young to cum, but
the dry orgasm Jeffy was having was no less intense.  His dick jumped in my
fingers, and as his bucking intensified, he was hitting my dick harder and
harder with his slippery ass.

I could feel my cum boiling from my balls, and as it began to race to my
dick, I moaned with Jeffy.  "Oh yes," I said.  Just then shot after shot of
my hot white cum blasted from the end of dick, coating Jeffy's legs.  The
more I came, the slicker Jeffy's legs got, and the more sensitive my dick
became.  I shot again, and held Jeffy tightly against my chest.

We stood there for a moment, trying to let our passion subside, as the
water continued to rinse away the evidence of my orgasm.

When I regained my breath, I began to soap up my little lover, and finish
cleaning up.  As I rinsed Jeffy off, I reached down, kissed him on the
lips, and whispered to him, "Thank you for sharing my shower, Jeffy."

"You're welcome," he said, smiling, just as innocently as if he had handed
me a napkin, instead of making love to me.

We finished our shower, and I told Jeffy that I wanted to make breakfast
for everyone today.  He asked if he could help, and I hugged him again.
For Jeffy, it didn't matter what I did or where I went, as long as he was
by my side.

We dried off, dressed and headed out.

---

As I left my cabin and headed for the galley, I realized that the air
seemed much cooler this morning.  Indeed, when I peeked out of one of the
portholes, it appeared that a huge cloud mass had entered our area of the
world.  I paid little attention other than a passing glance, and went about
preparing the meal.

The first sizzle as the bacon hits a hot pan is a sound that conjures up
images of cold winter mornings, campgrounds, and family get-togethers.  The
aroma as it begins to cook is, to me, one of the best smells in the world.

Of course, a freshly showered boy smells just as wonderful, and I was
enjoying the aromas of both this morning.

Jeffy stayed right by my side, chopping whatever needed to be, setting the
table, doing everything I asked, and begging for more.  What a helper.
When he wasn't doing something, he was back at my side.  I flipped the
bacon with one hand, and held Jeffy's shoulders with the other.  What a
delight.

---

The aroma of breakfast took over the ship and in no time, it was serving as
a great wake up call for the boys.

"Mmmm, something smells good," Andrew said as he snuggled in closer to
Brandon.  "It's making me hungry.  Let's get dressed and see what's for
breakfast."

Brandon kissed his cheek then got up from the bed, put on his uniform, and
helped Andrew with his.

In almost no time at all, the door of the four cabins began to open and my
glorious crew assembled into the galley.

"This time, I'm the chef, Gentlemen.  Make yourselves comfortable.  Jeffy
and I will be serving this morning's meal."  My pride was not only evident
on my face, but Jeffy's as well.  As Jeffy went around the table pouring
juice, all the boys said thank you, and Brandon patted Jeffy's butt, and
said, "Good job, Jeffy!"  Jeffy's chest stuck out further, as he raced back
to my area, awaiting his next instruction.

Breakfast was served, and the day's instructions were given.  "Once the
galley is cleaned, and you boys have had a shower, assemble on deck for
inspection."  Just as I finished my sentence, a bright light snapped and a
loud thunderclap boomed above us.  I looked out the porthole again, and the
sky was as dark as night.  It appeared that my "sailing plans" were being
changed.

"On second thought," as I turned back to the boys, "It appears we'll be
using the diesels today.  Clean up and assemble in the main room.  I'll
issue your duties there."

---

I hope you're enjoying this adventure.  I welcome comments and questions,
so, write me at mycandlelight_dreams@yahoo.com.