This
seemingly innocent photo of a young pirate at the helm of a trusty, stable
yacht belies the terror which was about to strike as the sun set, the
winds picked up and the forces of nature were hurled upon an honorable
crew, threatening their very lives and demanding their bravery...
Subject: Land Ho Pirate, Capt. Buck is Alive After Horrific Sail!
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 1997
From: William R. Buck
To: Bremly Wanbantei Lyngdoh
Capt. Lyngdoh,
Your friend is alive with help from the Great Navigator in the sky.
However, just three days ago this pirate was stuck in the clutches of
death as 30 MPH winds and 15 foot swells slammed our 38-foot sailboat
from Monterrey to San Francisco, far past sunset, last Friday. Sharks
lurked in the waters and night fell over us as the wind continued to
howl and the crew became soaked with the vicious cold waters of the sea
spraying our faces and chilling our tired bones, after nearly 15 hours
fighting up the coast. We narrowly found the entrance to our marina
halfway to SFO after nearly running the rocks pirate. O such a tale
hath not been told before by these weathered lips.
I am alive and woke
yet another day to feel the soft skin of my fair maiden -- who, like the
warm rising sun on the sea after long a night at the helm, has awed me
with a reverence for the simple beauties of life.
You and I shall continue to sail the high seas with courage, honorable
friend.
With the Waves,
Capt. Buck