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pain and exhaustion from the past 30 hours vanished and new life streamed through our bodies. The towline went taught and we churned the water. As night fell we searched the horizon for the loom of the great light. Nothing. “I don’t understand it.” I admitted. “We should see it.” Then the first hallucinations started. We needed sleep. We tied off


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our paddles, floating them alongside the kayak, then slumped down for some shut-eye, boats still linked by the towline. I felt like I’d barely fallen asleep when I awoke to see the lights


of a tugboat bearing down on us; a chance to fix our position. But no sooner had we drawn alongside than strong hands hauled both folding kayaks aboard, breaking their frames. Mugs of hot coffee were thrust into our hands as news came


through that we were just 11 miles from our destination and on course. The light on Great Inagua had died. “Well you’re on your way to Tampa, Florida, now,” the skipper said. “Hell no!” said Bea. “Put us back and we’ll paddle in.” For the rest of us, relief turned to dismay. She was right of course.


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From the height of the tug’s deck, we could see the lights on Great Inagua. Once again the tugboat hove to and we were lowered, broken boats and all, over the side off the rearing, plunging after deck. Then, as she pulled away, we paddled, dazed, for shore 40 hours after leaving Haiti. An ancient stone fort passed to port as we weaved a precarious route through old pier piles that protruded wickedly from the


38 ADVENTURE KAYAK | FALL 2008


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