CHRISSIE

CHRISSIE – The Enigma
Chapter 1

‘Geeze, that was some gust, what was it, oh hell 56 knots, that’s some blast.’

The man hung onto the wheel for dear life, this was no time for the autopilot, that was a God given certainty!

The boat was running with the wind, what was left of the jib hardly held her in position. He needed to get out the sea anchor but had stupidly left it in the hatch, it was far too late now.

With each following sea the boat was screwing from side to side, the man was battling with it, the wind strength was increasing every minute and the rolling seas were getting bigger. The sky was pitch black, and the rain was making life even harder, if this was fun you would have to be a madman.

The skipper, as he called himself, now realised he should have taken safe haven hours earlier, but he wanted to get where he wanted to be, and that was a big mistake, you never, ever, took chances with old Amphitrite, the bastard of a woman.

The man knew it was her, trying to take him and his boat down, and she was getting closer to achieving her aims.

There was a channel somewhere to the south west, between Potter and Ellison reef, he had the co-ordinates, 17°42’00.1″S 146°32’42.8″E, which at the moment meant very little, because he couldn’t get to the plotter, and the compass was all over the place.

They were bashing well offshore, the sea had risen dramatically in the last hour, he guessed Dunk Island was south west, if only he could make the channel there was a chance he could get behind the island. The problem was it was only two hundred metres wide, and he really wasn’t sure where the bloody thing was.

He had never been so scared in all his life, a stay had ripped out of the deck and swung around the mast, the motor was running but would lift out of the water with each increasing swell.

“Daddy, daddy.” The little girl had come up from below, she wore her wet weather gear and lifejacket, and was clinging onto any hand hold she could find.

“Missy, get down below, it’s too dangerous up here.”

“But daddy, I’m scared, when is it going to stop, I want to be with you, and the cabin is soaking wet.”

“Ok love, but come here behind the helm, and hold on….hell hold tight for Gods sake.”


A huge wave came tumbling down onto the boat two metres above the stern, she bashed her way along the deck taking what she could find with her. The mans feet were swept away from under him, he gripped the wheel tightly, the water rushed past and cleared the deck of everything. He managed to pull himself up.

Where was his little girl?

Then he heard her call, she was up by the bow hanging on to the lifeline, and screaming.
“DADDY, DADDY, HELP ME, PLEASE HELP ME.”
“MISSY, CRAWL BACK ALONG THE LIFELINE, YOU CAN DO IT, COME ON, I CAN’T LEAVE THE WHEEL, YOU HAVE TO DO IT!!”

The man knew he could take a chance to help her, wait for a wave then turn the boat into the wind between swells, if he could bring her around that is. That would mean the boat would be pointing into the wind. But could he do it and risk losing the mast.

“MISSY, COME ON NOW, CRAWL BACK ALONG THE ROPE, COME ON YOU CAN DO IT.”

Another smaller swell crashed over the transom, the wind was still screeching like a banshee, and the skipper felt the cold hand of death start to squeeze his throat, the fear was overwhelming.

He knew he wouldn’t risk turning the yacht, and watched as the little nine year old girl tried desperately to drag herself back to the cockpit.

Then another rogue wave crashed onto the yacht, it went over the mans head and went rushing down into the cabin, he gripped the wheels console with both his arms and legs, and as the wave broke over him he managed to keep his hold.

Suddenly it went strangely quiet, the port and starboard light were still working, and in the gloom he could see that the little girl must have been washed overboard. He turned around then saw the light on the lifejacket disappearing past the stern, she was out of reach, and in seconds was lost in the wild water.

He threw the lifebuoy overboard but knew it was a waste of time, the child was gone, and Amphitrite, the Goddess of the Sea, had been appeased.