Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 72059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Staying over at Galvin’s allowed Sail an extra half hour of sleep because she lived so close to the marina. When Sail arrived, he found Dune and Tidal working on the dinghy he would use for the competitions. Tidal clipped the two poles for the mast into place and then flipped Sail off as he came toward them.
“Nice to see you made it home last night,” Tidal said to his brother.
“Bite me.”
“I’m sure she did.” Tidal laughed.
Sail rolled his eyes and went to Dune, who began unrolling the sail onto the grass. Sail hoped there wasn’t anything on the ground that could ruin the sail. Once they had it unrolled, Dune lifted the edge, while Sail threaded the mast through the opening. He could do this by himself, but having his brothers there made things go smoother. Not to mention, he liked the company.
“It’s a good thing it’s not windy right now,” Dune said as they finished rigging the sail.
“Except I need the wind,” Sail said.
“You’ll be fine once you get out there. That’s one of the nice things about Seaport, there is always wind, especially on the water.”
While they were adding the straps to connect the sail and mast, Jack arrived.
“Hey, Dad,” Tidal said first.
“Morning, boys. Sail, do you need any help?”
Sail froze for a moment and then nodded. He didn’t need help because he had Dune and Tidal, but he and his father hadn’t been on the best terms since Sail’s return, and he figured this was an olive branch. Sail needed to take it and extend his own. The four of them worked together, making the process much faster.
Normally, Sail would be the first to say, rig your own dinghy, but he trusted his brothers and dad explicitly. They would never do anything to hurt or put him in danger. Everyone worked seamlessly, knowing what to do and when.
Jack, being the patriarch, gave directions without criticism. He was calm and collected. Saying things such as, “this might work better if we spin this,” or “bring this line under to avoid hitting the sail.” The boys listened, deferring to their father who had more than enough experience.
While his dad and brothers finished up, Sail attached the rudder to the dinghy. Once he had it ready, Jack picked up the mast and brought it over to Sail. Together, they slid the mast into the dinghy carefully.
And then the wind picked up.
“There she is,” Dune said, clapping his hands. Sail shook his head and continued to tie his lines. The Carter men continued to work, each taking a section of the dinghy to focus on.
And then three of them stepped away, leaving Sail alone.
It was his turn to become one with the dinghy. He’d done this a million times during his competition days it was almost a rite of passage. His dad and brothers knew he needed this time to double check everything otherwise he’d never forgive himself if something failed while he was sailing.
Sail checked that all the lines—vang, outhaul, and cunningham—were rigged correctly and ensured the mainsheet ran smoothly through all blocks. He tested and retested before moving to the rudder and daggerboard. Both of which were secure.
Finally, he stepped back and shook his head.
“What’s wrong?” Jack asked.
“Nothing,” Sail said. “I just can’t believe I’m going to do this.”
Dune rested his hand on Sail’s shoulder. “If anyone can do it, you can.”
“The purse is huge,” Tidal said. “Are you sure it’s for a one-week competition?”
Sail had thought the same thing. He checked and doubled checked, but every chat board he found confirmed what he read on the website: one week of competition, all based on speed and points, grand prize was life changing.
He fiddled with the lines for a few more minutes before heading into the changing room at the marina. The wetsuit had been from when he last competed. It was tight in a few places but would do until he could get a new one ordered. While they had boating shops on the island, sometimes items like a wetsuit specific for dinghies weren’t always available when you walked into the store.
Before leaving the bathroom, Sail stared at his reflection in the somewhat cloudy mirror. No one had said anything about the scratch marks on his neck, and he hoped the peanut gallery would keep their mouths shut. Especially in front of their dad. Dune knew where Sail had stayed last night and Tidal definitely had his suspicions, but their parents . . . that was a conversation for later. Sail didn’t want to hear how he shouldn’t be with Galvin. Honestly, there wasn’t anything his parents could say to change his mind. He liked her. A lot.
A lot more than he’d ever liked anyone.
Exiting the bathroom, he adjusted himself best he could and made his way over to his family. The dinghy was light weight, and something he could move by himself, but his brothers helped him put it in the water.