The Night’s Watch

Posted by Christopher.  Written Jan. 5, 2014.

As the sun goes down, the anchor goes up.

We were about to leave the Duncan town bay. That was probably the last time we’d see other boats around, considering we were going to Cuba. It was just before dark, so we would arrive in the morning at Puerto de Vita in Cuba. We had just lifted anchor and were taking off, when we heard my mom’s shrill cry, sounding from the back of the boat. We were instantly horrified with the pictures in our head of the worst things possible that could go wrong, but as we reached the back we realized it was just the life preserver gone overboard. We made a spin around it, and easily swept it out of the darkening water, but I could only hope that that was not an omen of things to go wrong.

The night remained uneventful, besides the orange, horseshoe life preserver mishap, but as the hour changed from seven to eight PM I realized that it was my and Alexander’s watch. So we strode up to the pilot’s seat sat down in synch and began the lookout. We remained up there for two hours, constantly checking to make sure that we hadn’t approached any specks of light in the moonless night, but we continued to be ok.  At the start of the watch, I was nervous, knowing what the consequences would be if one of us were to fall off the boat.  But by the end, I was bored by the constant checking of dials and lack of things to do.

Eventually (after several chocolate bars) it was ten o’clock and it was time to get Dad from his rest. Dad suggested that we play some video games, so that something was happening near him to keep him awake. Although, not after five minutes of gaming, I began to feel motion sick. So I took a Gravol and tried to get some sleep. In the rocking it was difficult, but I eventually managed to close my eyes.

When I woke up in the morning, I drowsily gained focus, and realized that I was in Cuba.

Cuban cows at the entrance channel to Puerto de Vita