Drifting in the swells is what got me. My brother and I messed about in small boats for years without any problem. Then one day we tried fishing (handlining) while tied to a buoy in the swells. We both were quite surprised as we soon turned a deathly green, and we lost little time casting loose from the buoy and racing back to our quiet cove.

The second time I was helping some friends sail back from the Bahamas and we anchored the ketch off West End, awaiting a favorable wind to dash over the Florida passage to West Palm Beach. There was again a considerable swell, and I made the mistake of going below to rustle up some sandwiches for lunch. I was spreading the mayo on the toast when ... No one gave me any sympathy. But I noted that no one was hungry either!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble