A World of Her Own by Michael Elsohn Ross

Author:Michael Elsohn Ross
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
Published: 2014-03-14T16:00:00+00:00

Kay relaxing during a break from bad weather.

Courtesy of Kay Cottee

At the start of April, as the First Lady neared Cape Horn at the southern tip of Africa, Kay found herself sailing in rough seas again. The boat was tossed by immense waves and pummeled by strong winds. The noise became so deafening that Kay couldn’t sleep. Then the winds blew harder, and the First Lady was soon dwarfed by waves as tall as five-story buildings. As Kay rocked about inside the cabin considering her precarious situation, she felt the bow rise higher and higher, until she sensed that the First Lady was almost standing straight up on one end. When the boat finally leveled out, Kay realized in horror that it was totally out of the water, suspended for a moment in the air. Instantly she braced her hands on the ceiling and her feet on the floor to avoid injury as the First Lady landed with a thunderous crash. Though she had avoided injury, Kay wondered if the boat had been damaged.

Secured by two harness lines, she scrambled on deck and discovered with relief that everything was intact. Two days later Kay rounded the cape in rough weather, but the worst was not over yet. Less than a week later she was struggling to control the First Lady as the yacht raced along, propelled by 75-mile-per-hour winds. All of a sudden the First Lady was knocked over flat, the mast plunged underwater. Caught in the grip of a mammoth wave, the boat was pushed along in this position until it was able to right itself. Clothes and gear were scattered about the cabin. Water poured in from an open hatch. Kay secured the hatch and was busy bailing out the water when the boat was knocked flat again. Laying atop her scattered belongings, with her kettle and other items from the galley flying through the air, she couldn’t help but laugh.

When righted, the First Lady continued to roar along at high speed. Kay realized she must decrease the speed to avoid damaging her vessel. In the inky darkness, she scrambled onto the deck, secured by harness lines, to check for any damage. In the strong winds the raindrops striking her hands felt as sharp as knives. Just as she was adjusting the sails and preparing to drop the anchor to slow down her yacht, she noticed a light in the distance. Realizing that she was on a collision course with a large ship, Kay turned on the lights and set off a flare to alert them of her presence. Trembling in fear, she watched as the massive vessel passed within 1,000 feet of her small craft. Moments later her boat was knocked over again, and Kay found herself washed overboard and plunged underwater. As she held her breath she felt as if her lungs might burst. Suddenly the boat righted itself, yanking her out of the water and washing her back onto the deck. Kay was now utterly exhausted and battered from head to toe, but she was alive and determined to sail on.

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