I poke my head above the hatch and take a quick peek topside. I spot Toby huddled with Dennis at the base of the mast, checking the electronic displays for wind speed, boat speed, heading, and the like. Glancing furtively over my right shoulder, I see Skipper Mack spinning the Big Wheel, nicely exposing Charger’s belly while sailing her as straight as a snapped plum line. Facing forward, I find the horizon devoid of sail, and it is only when I look aft do I see Stars and Stripes pursuing from three boat-lengths back.
Turning the winches like a gorilla pedaling a tricycle with its hands, Billy Boondocks calls down to me, “We’ve got trim sails and a leg to go. Nice job in the sewer, fisherman. Conner must think we have wind radar. Soon as I see the clew, I crank it straight up. This one’s i
