After the Storm Of The Century, I bravely soldered on and anchored in Bahia Santa Maria. It was an eerie entrance with a foglike haze. I could hear the sound of breakers on a shore but in the haze I could not determine exactly where. The chart showed a beach in front of me and to the left were several boats anchored in the dark.

I worked my way over toward the boats at anchor thinking that if they are there then I would be safe in that vicinity. After anchoring I was shocked by the number of stars in the dark sky. I have never seen such a vast of array of sparking, bright stars and planets nestled in among the Milky Way. What a sight.

I figured Pat was behind me since he hove to he would have drifted backwards for 7 or 10 hours. I did not expect him in until tomorrow. After a great night warm and safe in my bunk I awoke to be greeted by Bahia Santa Maria. It is a massive bay ringed by beaches and in the area I anchored there were three tall peaks of lava mountains. There was life everywhere. Dolphins cruised by, fish sought shelter under the keel. Birds were everywhere, pelicans, frigate birds and many others I am not able to identify.

My thoughts drifted back to Pat and so I sat at my chart table and calculated when he might arrive. When a fellow cruising couple came by to chat I asked them to listen for Amy Michele on the VHF and would they radio the little village of Man of War and ask the assembled cruisers there to keep an eye out also.

The day passed with clean up and resting. Every four hours or so I would put out a call to Pat with no response. An uneventful evening with an encore of the starlight serenade.

In the morning there were two new boats but not Pat. Surely he would arrive today. Since he had not arrived at my predicted time I began to worry a bit. Did he have an accident? Was he unconcious and floating around? Should I call the authorities? More calls to Man of War with no hint of Amy Michelle. I proceeded to work on my alternator.

Pat is a big man. Over six feet tall, long hair and beard he tends to scare some people with his appearance. He is an old Biker who found sailing and has gone as straight as a sailor can go. Pat is like many imposing men in that he actually a gentle giant. He is very well read, soft spoken and abstains from the evils of drink.

All day I wondered where is Pat? Would I have to call his daughter and give her terrible news? The rest of the day I was occupied with the alternator and in the morning I hear a call over the radio. Amy Michele is on her way to Man of War having spent the night in an anchorage about 3 miles away from me. Radio exchanges were made and each of us were notified where each of us was?

The mystery was over. Pat was in Man of War.

PS Not the Man of War in the Abacos, Bahamas!