On board of Elli Di, Saint Martin, April 2021 (continued)

Marigot

By next morning, Wednesday, things calmed down. When we got up, everyone had a different goal in mind. Presumably, the catamaran was leaving on Thursday although she was not a bit readier than the day before. Anna wanted to spend ashore as much time as possible since she may not see land for weeks. Dmitry went swimming and underwater hunting. Konstantin set to work on repairing the sail. The crew of the other yacht Grace was asleep after the previous night drama. I did not have much to do except to enjoy my last day on Elli Di.

The catamaran did not have a communication device that would work in the ocean. Our cell phones were only good while we were close to the shore. That looked to me like something not be taken lightly ‒ it is a safety issue ‒ and also, not being done at the very last moment. Konstantin talked about buying this device from time to time but so far, nothing was done in that direction. He meant to go to the store at 8 a.m. Instead, he busied himself with the sail.

Anna and Dmitry went with the shopping list to get supplies for the crossing. Dmitry later returned empty-handed, Anna stayed in the city. For lunch, I fried potatoes with smoked ham from that little food remaining on board.

Everyone and everything seemed to be in disarray. Alyona returned to Grace. The rumors were that she and Marina disagreed on how to share living expenses on Marina’s yacht. So, Alyona was back. Now, Vladimir and the other Dmitry declared that they were not going. Their reason was also money. They claimed that Tatiana, Konstantin’s wife, who managed the company’s finances, demanded a payment for the crossing. Vladimir and Dmitry maintained that they were asked to help as experienced seamen because there were not enough crew members. They did not see the point in helping and paying for their own help. The airfare from Moscow to Saint Martin was expensive enough. They did not ask for a refund for their tickets and did not mind to pay for the food but they expected a free passage to Europe in return for their manning the boat. Seeing that 3 out 8 people did not want to go, Anna began seriously considering her options.

In an attempt to sort out the mess, Konstantin called up an all-hands meeting. In the afternoon, we all got together on the catamaran. I was present out of curiosity; my flight to Paris was on the following day.

The dinghy with the Grace crew came and I finally got to see Alyona. A striking tall blonde, she was clad in a skin-tight long-sleeve t-shirt with a high collar. Skimpy shorts exposed her long legs with smooth skin. Alyona’s slim muscled body looked perfect; she knew that and carried herself like a royalty.

When everyone was seated, Konstantin explained that the purpose of the meeting was to ensure that we all were on the same page about when and how both yachts would cross the Atlantic. Immediately after, all hell broke loose.

Every crew member had their own opinion. Dmitry from our catamaran wanted to leave as soon as possible, preferably that night. Anna was for both boats going at the same time because it was safer. Valentin furiously argued that his yacht could not be ready before the weekend. Vladimir and the other Dmitry agreed to wait another day but not longer. Only Alyona was silent and looked indifferent as if all that was none of her business.

The whole affair was ugly. Valentin yelled that he alone decided when to go and that we should not put pressure on him. He needed to do some work on the mast; he was not leaving until he found time for that. Dmitry sarcastically noted that the mast job should have been done weeks ago; he suggested going easier on the booze and to concentrate more on getting things done.  The remark really made Valentin angry who for a moment looked like he would fly off the handle. Instead, he composed himself and declared firmly that he was captain of his yacht and nobody could tell him what to do, effectively shutting up Dmitry.

Alyona did not utter a word until someone asked her opinion and only after that, she spoke in a sexy, husky voice. Her face with high cheek bones displayed no emotions. Apparently, besides the mast, they needed to repair the wrench too. That is why Grace was not ready to sail. Alyona was brief and to the point, her gray eyes were cold. When she finished, there were no comments or arguments.

Clearly an experienced mariner, smart and strong-willed, Alyona was a prize for someone worthier than Valentin who was attached to her but the feeling did not look mutual. It was more likely that Alyona did not mind his company until a better opportunity turned up.

This bazaar discussion was going on until Konstantin put an end to it. He said that he made his decision and it was final. Vladimir and Dmitry should move to the catamaran the following day as soon as I vacated my cabin. The catamaran would leave right after that. The other boat with Valentin and Alyona would sail when they were ready which was exactly what these two wanted.

A murmur that followed the announcement indicated that the others were not happy with the decision but nothing was said aloud. The question remained how five unrelated people would share four cabins. Each cabin had one queen-size bed. Konstantin dismissed the issue in his usual way: ‘We will sort it out somehow’.

I was glad to be an onlooker in this messy situation. Valentin and Alyona got into the dinghy and returned to their yacht leaving Vladimir and Dmitry on the catamaran. The meeting was over but the day was not.

Phillipsburg