Paddle
all our efforts to staying upright, gripping our paddles and not losing sight of the other kayak. Water sloshed about, inches deep in our boat. Only when the wind swung to the north and settled to a steady 20 knots were we able to open our spray skirts enough to pump. For the remainder of the night, we
slogged into the wind. At dawn, instead of our destination we saw an empty horizon. Ken thought he could see land to the southwest, Cuba, but as we watched, it morphed into cloud. With no better options, we held our course, grinding into the strong headwind. By noon the troops were getting restless.
I had sailed these waters 10 years previously and assured everyone that there was a huge lighthouse on Great Inagua, so keep an eye open for the tower. By three 3 p.m. we were fading.
Richard, in the front of the other kayak, was clearly in pain as he dragged his paddle low across the deck. Ken, who needed extraordinary amounts of water, was looking grey and drawn. “I’m about done for,” said the SAS
veteran. “How about you?” I asked Richard.
Richard was a recent replacement for an injured member and this was his first crossing in a kayak. “Bit of the old chaffing I think,” he
grimaced. “And you?” I asked Bea. “I’m okay,” she said, adding, “I could
do with some sleep.” “We’re almost there,” I said. “As soon
as it gets dark you’ll see the loom of this light. It is visible for 30 miles.” “I reckon that storm took us west and
we’ve passed Great Inagua,” said Ken gloomily. I knew he could be right but we held our course. Half an hour later, “I’m finished,”
yelled Ken. We paused and looked back. Ken slumped, head in hands, while Richard, his elbows locked at his sides scraped at the water by rotating his body. Beneath his coat, his T-shirt was soaked with blood. Bea and I hooked up a towline, and
then an extraordinary thing happened: a flood of new energy swept over us. The
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