Quick Update: We're here! We're anchored and we're safe. More about this later. And now for the "Case of the Ripped Main Sail."

Kathy, Sean and Tara were looking at it and it was clear that no one was willing to take the blame. There was silence and each individual had a scowl on their face. It was then that Casey lazily came up into the cockpit. She yawned, thoroughly, bored; looking for any form stimulation.

Casey followed the gazes of each individual and tried to determine what it was that had so entranced each person. "What are you guys looking at?" Casey finally asked out of desperation.

Kathy looked at Casey and said very resolutely, "Dad, tore the main sail."

"I did not! I did not!" Sean quickly retorted.

Tara seized the moment to gain advantage, "Don't be a child Dad. I was the one that was on watch when it happened. It-"

"See! It was Tara's fault!" Sean said in accusing tones and pointing his finger in her direction. "She admits it!"

"Dad!..."

Kathy had had enough. "Sean! It was not Tara's fault."

"Oh yeah!"

Casey broke in - having recently read about the Wisdom of Solomon as part of her daily Bible reading, she felt greatly prepared to mediate the conflict. "Hold on everyone." She said with her hands out like an umpire declaring the runner safe. "How about I hear everyone's story and then I will judge who is at fault." Everyone's head nodded in agreement and Casey choose Tara to first relay the story of the ripped main sail.

"Well," Tara said. She smiled at Kathy as if they were in cahoots with each other. "I was out here on deck, doing my watch. I'd just adjusted course optimizing our vessel for speed and allowing for the least amount of wind to sweep over my head; thus ruining my hair. I'd just recently found this particularly new hairdo and I was feeling that it really fit me well." Tara was now using her hands in picture frame like motions to demonstrate the minutest details of each curl and quickly ran to the mirror to double check her appearance. The rest of the family waited impatiently for her to return. Tara screamed for everyone to hold on and after 5 excruciating minutes finally appeared. "Okay. Where was I?" Tara asked.

"You were telling us how the main sail ripped." Sean said annoyed.

"Oh! Yeah! Well, I heard a ripping noise and confidently took the helm, called below for assistance. Mom was too busy to come up and Dad was sleeping, as always. I think Dad's depressed."

"Can we continue, please?" Sean interrupted. Tara rolled her eyes obviously annoyed at being interrupted.

"We'll I pulled the boat into the wind, even though I knew it would mess up my hair," Tara paused again obviously in deep thought about her hair. ".And then dropped the main sail. Dad showed up much later obviously shaken and I told him to grow up and that we'd be fine. We could double reef the sail. That's what happened to best of my recollection. Tara looked at Mom with a smug look as if to say, "Why did you marry such a dolt?!"

"Can you believe this?" Sean asked incredulously. "What a bunch of bull!" Casey again placed her hands in an outward motion to calm the crowd. It wasn't clear if she'd learned this motion from books, or was improvising.

"Dad," she said with even tones of a great and learned mediator, "Why don't you tell your side of the story." "Fine!" Sean said obviously annoyed at Tara's rendition. "I was down below trying to take a small nap. I'd been on watch for the last 36 hours and since Tara was awake I asked her to take a short watch. Tara was very annoyed because she was preoccupied with her appearance and told me she was too busy. I then felt compelled to give her a lecture about being part of the crew and needing to help out more. She responded, 'Whatever!' and went up to do the watch."

Sean paused to catch his breath and compose his thoughts. He then continued, "I then laid my head down briefly; always keeping one eye open. It was then I heard a scream. Kathy yelled to me, 'Sean! Something's wrong. Tara's yelling. We're so afraid. Please dear, help us! I think we're sinking.'

"I then sprung out of bed and quickly assured Kathy that everything would be fine. I ran up to the cockpit and Tara was in the corner with her arms wrapped around her knees rocking back and forth. She was crying uncontrollably and I-"

"I was not! I was not! You're making the whole thing up." Sean paused and waited for Casey to regain control so that he could again proceed. Casey quickly admonished Tara for interrupting and allowed Sean to continue.

"Yes. Where was I?" Sean said trying to regain his momentum. "Oh yes! Tara was crying in corner. I quickly moved past her and saw that the main was ripping below the second reef point. I quickly pulled the boat into the wind and reefed down the sails and, thus, prevented any further ruin. I then counseled Tara in a most gentle way that the main sail obliviously ripped because she was more interested in her appearance than keeping the sails full. It was obvious that we'd done some form of accidental jibe and that was how the main sail ripped."

"Mom! Dad's lying!" Tara protested. "I am not!" Sean yelled back..

Kathy quickly interjected. "That's not what happened at all." Casey enjoying her new found power then motioned for Kathy to tell her side.

Kathy glared and Sean for telling so obvious a mistruth and then began. "I was cooking and washing the dishes. I was doing this because no one else ever does anything around here." "I do Mom!" Tara interrupted. Kathy gave a sarcastic look in her direction and continued. "I was making everyone's meal: Tara had to have macaroni and cheese; Casey: nachos; and Sean: fish. It seems no one can eat the same thing in this family." "Hey! Sean said annoyed for being grouped with the other two, "I'll eat anything."

"Mom!" Casey interrupted. She'd obviously lost her composure now that she was being accused of being picky. "I told you that the macaroni taste like the box." "Casey!" Tara said in her superior way, "You're so picky." "I am not! It just taste like the box - that's all." "Whatever!"

Kathy ignored all pleas continued. "Earlier in the day Sean was messing with the sails. He kept tightening the clew of the reefed sail. I expressed my concern at this obvious over-tightening and was told that I was a dumb woman and, thus, should keep my mouth shut." "I didn't say that!" Sean yelled. "Well, they were words to that effect," Kathy replied. Sean's face started to turn various shades of red. Kathy, seeing the effect she was having on Sean, made a wry smile and continued.

"Well, it wasn't long after Sean made this obvious blunder that he bid us ado because he had to take another nap. It doesn't matter that I was washing the dishes, or cooking dinner. His majesty-" Kathy made quotation mark gestures when she said the word "majesty." "- needed his rest and so he went off to sleep. Since no one was on deck I asked Tara to do a watch because I was so busy."

"And I did it to help you Mom!" Tara said obviously trying to get Kathy to collaborate her version of the catastrophe and, thus, proving Dad to be a slander of her obvious good character.

"Yes." Kathy replying to Tara, "Tara took the watch because I told her that I was busy and that her father was obviously depressed." "I'm NOT DEPRESSED!" Sean yelled defensively.

Casey, having regained her composure calmed her father and then, when he wasn't looking, nodded in agreement with Kathy and Tara's observation of depression.

Kathy continued, "Well, it was then that I heard Tara yell - that there was a ripping noise. I yelled for Sean to go up and he ignored my pleas. I stopped cooking and washing the dishes and ran up to see what was the matter. Tara and I then proceeded to double reef the sail. Only after it was done did Sean come up into the cockpit. He then blamed us for being incompetent even though it was very obvious that he was at fault." "Oh! I can't believe this!" Sean said ready to scream. "This is ridiculous!"

Casey then spoke as if she were King Solomon herself. "Dad! You are captain of the vessel and, thus, responsible for all that happens aboard your ship. You clearly are depressed and need to be more aware-"

A brief argument ensued. Casey smiled at the chaos and seizing a brief pause decided that it was time to place judgment. "I believe," Casey paused for dramatic effect, "That the boat should be cut in half. She used her hand in the form of a Karate chop and demonstrated the cutting.

Sean screamed that it couldn't be done. That it shouldn't be done. That he would accept the responsibility for the main sail.

Kathy and Tara quickly grasped the opportunity to place a few I-told-you-so's in Sean direction.

Casey then interrupted them. "STOP!" she yelled with authority. "Since Dad was sp willingly ready to accept full responsibility for the incident in order to save the sailboat." Casey stopped again, taking full advantage of the drama. She then continued, "Tara and Mom's ambivalence clearly demonstrates ambivalence. This ambivalence clearly shows an uncaring attitude for the boat. THREFORE, Dad is vindicated." And then Casey, just to make her sound more authoritative added, "I have ruled."

Tara and Kathy were stunned. Sean smugly walked away satisfied with the result. Casey quickly followed and when out of site of Tara and Kathy she said, "So Dad! Did I do good?" Sean pulled 20 dollars from his wallet and handed it to Casey, "You did real good Casey. Real good."

Author's note: The sail ripped 4 feet across a seam. We never really figured out how it happened. The sail was slapping hard when Adventure rolled in the swell. We were using the main to help stabilize the boat. The main does not reef well and had some slack in it which allows momentum to build up and, probably, caused the rip. We've already found a couple of places that may be able to fix it, but it will have to wait for Nuka Hiva, or Tahiti.