Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2022 00:25:25 +0000 (UTC) From: Jonathan Subject: I'm the Captain - Chapter Ten Paul and Lucas's relationship strengthens on the trip South and all seems perfect until trouble strikes and threatens their idyllic existence.existence. This is a fictional tale of sexual relationship between a young man and a teenage boy. You must be eighteen to read this story. If it is against the law where you are to read stories like this you are kindly requested to leave and not read this story. It is only a fictional story for your reading pleasure and not for distribution to any other site or resource. While some of the geographic names and place may be real, none of the names or characters are real or based on anyone real. I grew up on the water and have a familiarity with sailing and boats but no means am I an expert so please forgive any references or nomenclature that are not factually accurate. I appreciate any comments or feedback, good or bad. Send to tryitlikeit27@yahoo.com. I try to reply to as many as possible. I have had some very pleasant interactions with some of my readers so please do not hesitate to write. If you enjoy my story, you can do an Author Search on my name ("Jonathan Perkins") to find some of my other stories posted here. I'm The Captain by Jonathan Perkins Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved Remember to donate to Nifty to keep these stories available for all our enjoyment. http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html I'm The Captain Chapter Ten We came down off the high of the tremendous send off everyone had put together for us and watched as the shoreline grew smaller and smaller behind us. Our plan was to stay in sight of shore for the first day or two until we all felt comfortable with the boat and our shipmates. We were at full sail; our bow pointing the way to a new tomorrow as our wake bade farewell to those we left behind. At least for a few months. Mike and Dwayne would be flying back once we docked in Florida and Lucas and I would fly back up for the holidays. But now it was all eyes ahead, scanning the horizon for the adventures a new tomorrow would bring. I was taking the first shift at the helm, naturally. After all, I was the captain. Lucas was my second mate so he was standing at the helm with me, keeping a watchful eye on the sails and the lines, adjusting as necessary. We would look at one another every few minutes and smile. Now and then one of us would holler out, 'This is what I'm talking about!' A few hours had gone by and Dwayne had gone below to take a nap. How he could sleep at a time like this was beyond me. Mike was going over the charts and listening to weather reports in case any course corrections were needed. Always the work alcoholic. "How we doing, navigator?" I yelled out to Mike. "You've gotten us way off course. Take a left at the next seagull and we'll be okay," he laughed back at me. We had decided to work in six-hour shifts. Five hours from port Mike came up to me to see if I was ready to give up the helm yet. "Not yet. I'm still trying to find that seagull to make my turn," I threw it back at him. At the end of my shift I grudgingly turned over the wheel to Mike. Dwayne was still below deck napping. "Hey Lucas, would you go wake up Dwayne and tell him he's on duty now." Mike asked. "Sure, no problem," Lucas answered as he headed down the stairs. He came back up a few minutes later, a little red in the face. "Well, did you wake him up?" I asked. "Didn't have to, he was already awake," Lucas replied. "Is he coming? He supposed to be here by now," Mike said rather irked. "He'll be cumming any minute now," Lucas laughed. Mike and I were both confused. "He was laying on his bed naked, jerking his huge cock. By his increase in tempo and quick breathing I guess he finished by now," Lucas giggled. Just then Dwayne appeared on deck with a silly grin on his face. "Have a good nap?" Mike inquired sarcastically. "Real good. Had a nice dream with a happy ending too," Dwayne smirked. We all chuckled. Not six hours under way and already this horndog was at it. At least he was jerking off in private. "Hey Lucas, I noticed you were doing some whale watching," Dwayne looked at Lucas and gave him a wink. "Huh?" Lucas answered confused about the comment. "I saw you standing at my door watching, watching my sperm whale," Dwayne broke out in laughter. "Anytime you want to climb on and ride the whale, let me know." "Thanks but I'm more of a swordfish kind of guy. I can enjoy a nice sword fight before climbing on for a ride," Lucas shot back with more laughter from all of us. The good-natured sexual banter continued for a while until we all ran out of comments. Lucas gave me a head nod towards the cabin door, smiled and walked down the stairs. Mike looked and me and smiled. "Dwayne and I are all set here if you need to go take a 'nap'," he told me, knowing full well what was going to happen below deck. I went to our berth but didn't see Lucas. I expected him to be on the bed. He was hiding behind the door and slammed it shut as I walked through. He jumped out at me, already buck-naked. "Damn you're fast," I observed. "I am but you better not be. I want you to ride you for a long time, nice and slow and steady," as he began to pull my clothes off before I had a chance to undress. The fresh air, the open sea and the sexual banter had made both of us extremely horny. I was happy to oblique him but wasn't sure how long I would last. As I was removing the last of my clothes, Lucas grabbed the lube and smeared his ass with it then applied a generous amount to my stiff boner. He instructed me to get on my back and he would straddle me. Naturally I did as he instructed, my cock sticking up in the air, straight and firm just like the main mast of our boat. He got in position and lowered himself down on me. I felt little resistance from his sphincter as the tip of my cock entered him. He had pushed out to allow me entry then tightened up to grip my cock as it sat further down. The warmth of him was slowly engulfing me. "Oh yes, Lucas, you feel so good on my cock." "And your cock feels right at home in my hole, where it belongs." Once he was all the way down, he wiggled and squirmed his ass around in small circles while still pushing down. The feeling was incredible. "You have it all, Lucas, there ain't no more," I joked. "Believe me, that is enough. I'm just making the best of it. Does it feel good when I do this?" "So good that you won't get your long fuck you're looking for but rather a you'll get a quickie," I smiled. "The first one can be a quickie then and the next one will last longer," he told me. "We've got five hours before we have to be back on deck," as he bent over and kissed me as he continued to wiggle his ass around on my cock. I grabbed his hips and pulled him down tighter on me, if that was at all possible. I thrust up, Lucas moaning as he deep tongued my mouth. He was trying to get his tongue as deep in my throat as my cock was in his ass. We were both breathing heavy and sweating as we held each other as tight as possible, wiggling and jiggling and not yet developing a fucking rhythm. Our bodies were just coupled as it where. It was not me fucking him or him making out with me. This was just 'us'. This was the way life was meant to be. Finally Lucas started to move up and down, slowly letting his cock come almost all the way out of me and then back in as he sat back. He was picking up speed as I was moving to match his rhythm, our bodies in sync with one another. We had to break our kiss to get some air. Our breathing had got heavier and more rapid as our fucking did as well. He would still lean forward on me then sit back up to maximize his penetration. Our stomachs were getting slippery from all the sweat we were generating or so I thought. I could feel the all too familiar tingle and pressure building, signaling I was close. "Lucas, I'm about to cum. I don't think I can wait any longer for you to cum first," I gasped out in a halted voice. "Don't hold back, you've already made me cum a few minutes ago," as he thrust down hard to take the first of many spurts of cum up deep inside him. He slumped down on top of me, our gooey stomachs mushing his puddle of cum all over both of us. Now he was feeling heavy on me as I tried to get my regular breathing back. "Get off me, you fucking animal," I joked, getting a little rowdy and enjoying the release of some hot sex. "I hope you're sated for a while because I'm exhausted." "It was hot, wasn't it?" Lucas remarked. "Seeing Dwayne jerking off that huge cock of his just got me so damn horny." "I guess I should feel glad you didn't go right in and jump Dwayne and shove that 'huge' cock in your ass." I said with a smile. "No, I wanted to make love, not just have sex. With you, it's making love, sweet and fulfilling. With Dwayne, or Mike even, it would just be crude sex, a means to an orgasm. Get in and get it over with. You'll always be my first choice, you know that," he explained. "Besides, I'd have had to wait for Dwayne to come up on deck first. Remember, no sex in private?" "We were just in private," I pointed out just to tease him. "This is different. Unless you want me to drag your skinny ass up on deck and take you hard and deep right in front of them," he said seriously then giggled. "We better get cleaned up before this cum hardens. Then get back up on deck before they wonder what we were doing," I told him. "Not what we were doing, but who was doing who," Lucas smirked. "I'm wanting to get up inside you next." "Okay, but let's take a break to recharge so we can really enjoy it," I pointed out. "But what about poor Mike. He is the only one who hasn't gotten off yet. He has a few more hours before his shift is over." We cleaned up and I was headed out the door when I saw Mike standing at the helm, his legs spread more than usual and Dwayne on his knees bobbing on Mike's cock. I immediately turned back and stopped Lucas in his tracks. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Mike didn't wait until his shift was over. Dwayne took care of that," I sat down laughing. "I'm going to go see, discreetly," Lucas said as he slinked towards the door. "Oh no you don't," as I reached out and grabbed his shoulder as he tried to get past me. "You'll get all horned up again and I'm not ready for another go around like that one, not yet anyway." "Okay, I'll let them finish." We chatted for about ten minutes and figured they'd be done by then. "It wouldn't have taken Dwayne that long, he's good," Lucas remarked. I didn't want to ask him how he knew, reputation or personal experience so I just let the comment pass. "Hey you guys missed the show," Mike hollered over to us as we came up on deck. "But I guess you guys were having a show of your own, a private show." "And a gentleman never tells," I smiled at him. "And a horny guy that wants second never rats out his partner," Lucas chipped in laughing. 'Maybe next time will be different," Mike chuckled. Suggestive innuendoes but no outright offers or promises of sex between any of us other than our usual partners. I'll just have to see how things progress. I may have to be the voice of reason, or at least of self control, as we continue on. Or just loosen up and go with the flow. Our first port of call was Atlantic City, New Jersey. It was off-season for the seaside resort and that's when I wanted to visit. With my experiences on Cape Cod I know that once the tourists have left for the season you can get to see the real Atlantic City, the good, the bad and the ugly. I like to shop and eat and patronize the local businesses that stay open all year long and support the locals. It's also a plus to sit at a sidewalk table and enjoy a hamburger and fries that cost $12 now instead of the tourist price of $26, unless you want the deluxe meal for $29. That included ketchup for the fries. I insisted that the food and the shopping were on me. Even with off-season prices we spent over $500. Mike and Dwayne would have been limited on their Coast Guard pay. It was the least I could do to repay them coming along with us. We spent two days in Atlantic City. We were having such a good time sailing and visiting shore, the urgency of getting to Florida had waned. I think it was the first time all four of us had truly relaxed and were enjoying ourselves. When we put back to sea, the weather had warmed up considerably. With open water, strong sun and warm winds I had a feeling what would be coming next. Lucas shed his shirt then went below and came back up on deck wearing a speedo. At least he was still wearing something. Mike and Dwayne looked at him then at me and smiled. I was at the helm and tried to concentrate on my sailing. Mike went below and returned wearing a very short and revealing pair of cut off jeans. Dwayne was next for a wardrobe change. He came back up on deck naked. "Mike, I forgot to pack my swimsuit. Do you have an extra?" he laughed with a devilish grin. "No I don't. You'll just have to improvise. But it looks like you already did," causing the three of them to laugh. I had to maintain the voice of modesty, or at least not let things get out of control. "You could always put on a pair of long pants," I suggested with a straight face "But then he wouldn't need suntan lotion on his legs and such," Lucas said looking at Mike and Dwayne. I knew I was outnumbered but was hoping it would just be naked sailing and not a sex orgy. I waited a few minutes and then when none of them were looking. I decided, what the hell, if you can't beat them then join them? I took my clothes off and dropped them next to the wheel. Lucas was the first to notice my nakedness and just smiled. He gave me a thumbs up and pulled off his speedo. Mike finally noticed us and undid his cut offs, kicking them to the side. But that was the extent of things. Some suntan lotion was discreetly spread on everyone's back and we just sailed along enjoy the freedom that nakedness granted us. I was enjoying my surroundings when my stomach started to grumble. I passed it off and kept concentrating on keeping on course. Then the grumbling got worse and I felt a pressure building inside me. Not the good kind of build up when you knew you were getting close to shooting cum out of your body but the ominous build up of pressure when you knew you were going to be shooting loose watery shit out your ass any minute. Something I ate on shore definitely didn't agree with me. I yelled for Mike to take the helm as I made a mad dash below deck. Lucas saw me squeezing my ass cheeks together as I ran and misinterpreted that as a sign I wanted him to come fuck me. He quickly followed but was surprised when I wasn't on the bed waiting for him. Suddenly he caught a whiff of the horrible smell emanating from the head. He asked if I was okay and then quickly went back up on deck. "Damn, you two are quick," Mike joked not knowing what was happening. "No, he's still at it. Hold your nose if you go below, Lucas advised. After a disgusting ten minutes in the head, I came back up on deck. "Any of you feeling ill?" I asked them all, to which they all replied they felt fine. "Must be just me then. I'm glad it wasn't food poisoning, just something that didn't agree with me." I looked at Lucas and quieting said to him, "Looks like my ass is exit only for now. You'll have to wait until tomorrow to have your fun." "As long as you feel better, that's all that counts," he told me although I could see the disappointment in his eyes. The day continued with me making several mad dashes for the head. Lucas had stretched out on the deck and was taking a nap. Mike caught my eye and nodded toward Lucas. His eyes were closed, he had a smile on his face and his cock was standing straight and hard. What ever he was dreaming about must have been good. Dwayne saw it and looked at Mike and I as he made the jerking move with his hand, tipping his head towards Lucas. Mike looked at me for my approval and I just smiled at them both. I was no good to Lucas in my condition so if Dwayne was willing to give him some relief I was good with that. He knelt beside Lucas and gripped his cock. He squeezed some suntan lotion on with his other hand and slowly began to work up and down on Lucas's aching member. Lucas moaned and moved his body slightly, enjoying what was being done to him. All of a sudden his body stiffened and his eyes shot open. "What the hell, Dwayne? Can't a guy have a dream without you interrupting it?" as he pushed Dwayne's hand off of him. Lucas's face turned red as he looked at me. "Sorry, Lucas. You looked like you needed a hand so I figured I be of assistance," Dwayne justified his actions. "Next time ask!" Lucas shouted. "Mike and Paul said it was okay. I'll know better next time," Dwayne said remorsefully as he stood up and walked to the side of the boat, looking out over the water. Lucas came over to Mike and I and asked if we had given him the okay to stroke me off. "Yes, we felt you needed some relief and Dwayne was more than happy to help," Mike confirmed. "You too Paul?" ""I'm not much good to you today. I was afraid your cock would burst at the seams it was so hard and stiff. Something had to be done," I offered in a joking way. Lucas went back to Dwayne and came up beside him. "I overreacted. I didn't know they were in on it as well. We good?" Lucas said as he put his hand on Dwayne's shoulder. "Yeah, it's all good. Can I finished what I started?" he asked with a smirk? Lucas looked back at us for approval and we both nodded. Dwayne turned to face Lucas and grabbed his cock once again. It had deflated slightly but responded to Dwayne's touch and came right back to full attention. Dwayne was looking down, admiring Lucas's awesome cock. He dropped to his knees and inhaled the full length in one gulp. He started working his magic and soon had Lucas moaning and rubbing the back of Dwayne's head. Lucas had turned his back to the side of the boat to brace himself. "Damn, you're good, Dwayne," Lucas called out as he bucked his hips and face fucked Dwayne. "Oh fuck!" he shouted. Dwayne pulled off Lucas's cock and stood up. "Sure, if that's what you want," turning around, bending over and ramming his ass back against Lucas's cock, sliding it in to the hilt on one smooth motion. Lucas was caught by surprise and just stood there with a shocked look on his face. He swung his head to look at Mike and I. We smiled at him. What else could we do? We had given Dwayne the green light that started all of this. It was like dropping the green flag at the Indy 500 and there was no stopping Dwayne until the checkered flag was dropped and the cum was unloaded. I had a very unexpected reaction to the sight unfolding before my eyes. I wasn't looking at Lucas fucking Dwayne as a jealous lover but rather very analytically as an engineer would. It was almost like an out of body experience. Being his second orgasm of the day I knew this would take longer so I had lots of time to observe him. I was watching his facial expressions change with each different move he made. The smile and look of satisfaction as Dwayne yelled out, "Harder, fuck me harder. I want your cock in me as far as you can shove it. That's the spot, right there. Do that again!" Lucas was getting as much pleasure out of knowing that he was giving Dwayne a good fucking, pleasing him as he was pleasing himself. The way his muscles in his body moved as he held Dwayne's hips and thrust into him, the sweat building up on his brow, as well as the rest of his body, making it glisten in the sun. Is that what Lucas looks like when he is making love to me? His toes curled up and I knew he was about to unload in Dwayne. His whole body stiffened then thrust once, firmly and quickly, at Dwayne's backside. His stomach muscles contracted several times, once with each spurt of cum. Then a relaxing of his body as a calm set in overtaking his whole demeanor. He rubbed Dwayne's back and pulled away from him, letting his softening cock slip out. Lucas slumped back against the rail of the boat and tried to regain his composure. He looked over at me and smiled. That broke the spell and I was no longer the analytical observer but rather the other half of a loving couple, grateful that my partner had enjoyed himself so immensely. I had overcome a major character flaw, not looking at life selfishly through my perspective but seeing life through someone else's eyes and how it affected them. Instead of being jealous I was happy that Lucas and Dwayne had sex. Not making love, mind you, but straight out recreational sex. There was no affection involved in what they did. It was strictly the continued penal stimulation via insertion in the anus until the threshold was crossed resulting in an orgasmic climax and the ensuing expulsion of seminal fluid. There, that's sounds non-threatening enough for even me. Lucas came over to me while I was manning the helm. He put his arm around me and kissed me on the cheek. "Thank you for understanding," Lucas whispered in my ear. I looked at him and smiled, giving him a quick kiss on the mouth. Lucas went below to clean himself up. Dwayne came over to me and squeezed my crotch. "Do you need a fix, too?" he asked with a grin. "I do, but I'll get it later, thanks." By the time we put into our next port of call I was feeling better, physically and mentally. I promised myself I'd be more careful in the local cuisine I chose. Mike and Dwayne met some fellow Coast Guard friends while we were in Norfolk and they spent a day with them while Lucas and I spent a leisurely day sightseeing, so enthralled to be alone together in a city full of people that we really didn't take much notice of the sights we were seeing. We had a romantic dinner, holding hands across the table and staring into each other's eyes, oblivious to the waiter until he would have to clear his throat to get our attention. We returned to the boat for a long night of an intimate lovemaking. Cuddling, kissing, naked body contact leading to a prolonged session of sucking, taking turns before eventually a bed shaking climax, first Lucas then myself. A short nap then recharged for some gentle fucking. It had been a while since we had so totally exhausted ourselves sexually. Then next morning we found that Mike and Dwayne were not on the boat. We both assumed they had enjoyed a night of debauchery with their fellow Coasties. They would hopefully be stumbling back to the boat soon, hung over and ragged looking. Instead they showed up with an entourage of their buddies, anxious to meet Lucas and me. It seems one of them had been stationed on Cape Cod and knew of Uncle Bart and his infamous trip through the canal at full sail. They had been up all night sharing stories and playing cards. To a one they were all jealous of Mike and Dwayne being on this voyage south with us. We hung together the rest of the morning until we went ashore for a farewell brunch with our new friends. It put us behind schedule but it was worth it. There was a different feeling on the boat that day, a feeling of contentment among all of us. The rest of our trek south was uneventful and filled with sex; lovemaking between Lucas and myself, recreational sex with all of us involved. We motored into our new home for the winter. The four of us secured the boat, stowed the gear and savored this moment of a new beginning. I went to the marina office to introduce myself and handle the paperwork. When I returned to the boat there was a small group of people on the dock talking to Lucas. It was a welcoming committee of sorts. I had a really good feeling about this marina and the fellow boaters berthed here. Mike and Dwayne were anxious to get to the airport and return back north. They thanked us for such a great vacation but true to form, they wanted to get back to work as soon as possible. I had a rental car dropped at the marina so we could get around once we landed. We gave Mike and Dwayne a ride to the airport and got them on their flight. At the gate they both gave us a hug and thanked us for such a good time. Mike told me to make sure and give him some notice when we were planning to sail back north in the spring. From the airport, we stopped at Earnest's house to say hello and let him know we made it okay. He opened his front door and grabbed my arm to pull me in. Then shouted to his wife to come see who had arrived. "Good to see you, my friend. Did you have a nice trip?" he asked as his wife came to give us a hug and greet us. "Welcome to Florida," she said as she extended he hand to Lucas. "And who is this handsome young man?" causing Lucas to blush. "He doesn't resemble you, Paul, so I don't think he's a relative. A co-worker from up north, a sailing companion or a boyfriend?" he asked with a grin. Lucas's face turned a darker shade of red. "This is Lucas. He was Second Mate for my Uncle Bart and I inherited him with the boat," I laughed. "Now we are a couple." "Glad to hear that. Congratulations, Lucas," as Ernest reached out to shake Lucas's hand. Turning to Paul, "That's what I like about, Paul. There is no bullshit about you. You tell things like there are. I knew that from the first day we met. You were firm in your convictions, not arrogant or cocky, but until someone proved you wrong, you were sticking to your guns. You stood up to me, politely but steadfast. Hell, you even spoke back to the boss." We were welcomed in and sat around chatting while his wife got some refreshments. Earnest wanted to insist that we stay in their guestroom but we politely declined. "Earnest, they have had traveling companions for the last few weeks, four people crammed into that boat. These young men want some along time," she winked. We all chuckled as Lucas's face turned the darkest shade of red I've ever seen. "Thank you for understanding," I told his wife. I told Earnest I had a few more days of vacation scheduled to finish getting settle in. "You take all the time you need. As usual I have everything under control at the office," he laughed. "Yes he does," his wife piped in, "according to his way of thinking. This weekend Earnest and I will take you and Lucas and show you around the area. I know you've been here before but you need the grand tour," We said our good byes, went to the market to do some food shopping and then back to the boat. "Now we can have that alone time they talked about," Lucas leered at me. We got undressed, got in bed and cuddled up. Unfortunately before we could get to anything else, we both feel asleep. I woke up after a two-hour nap. I slowly opened my eyes and turned to look over at Lucas. He was looking back at me and smiling. "I thought you had gone to sleep to hibernate for the winter," he joked. "No, just enjoying a wonderful dream. I dreamt I was aboard a beautiful old classic sailing vessel, docked in a warm climate with the most handsome young man next to me, naked and waiting to fuck my ass." "Keep dreaming, old man. Really! Let's make that dream come true," as he rolled onto me and kissed me. We made out long enough for our cocks to get rock hard and our desire for each other to take control. This time I took the initiative and told Lucas I wanted him inside me as I rolled over and presented my ass to him. "I owed you one from the day I got sick on the way down here." "I'm not keeping score. But I'm also not refusing that tight ass of yours," as he began to fondle my ass cheeks, his fingers slipping in my crack, teasing my hole. Lucas brought his face to my backside and began giving me wet kisses, a combination of kissing and licking, on one cheek then the other. Then he spread my cheeks and dove in for the prize. He extended his tongue and made it as pointed as he could, licking and then pressing against the tenderest spot on my body. He had me writhing on the bed so badly he had to grab my hips to keep his mouth and tongue in the right spot. "Enough, enough, I'm so damn ready for you. Get your tongue out of there and put your cock where it belongs. NOW!" I begged him. I didn't want to cum before he had even entered me. "Your wish is my command, oh cap-i-tan," as he kneeled up, came forward and lowered himself down on my back, his stiff cock nestling in between my buttocks. He dry humped me while gently kissing my neck and my ear lobes. I was so fucking horny I needed to move this along. We could do slow sex later. "I think I'm about to cum," I fibbed. ""Shit! Not yet! Wait for me," he whined. "Then you better hurry up and get to it," as I bucked my ass up him. I got what I asked for. He took his cock in his hand and aimed it at my pucker, entering me in one strong thrust. It took me a little by surprise but I was glad he was finally in. I was ready. With no passengers on board we could now be as loud and boisterous as we wanted. I was moaning as I spoke out. "Yes, more, go as deep as you can. I want all of you!" Lucas responded with grunts and groans as I swear he attempted to push his cock right through me and out my belly button. But it felt awesome. This time I really was getting close. "I'm about to cum. You can catch up when you're ready," I teased him. "Here it is, enjoy my load," as he made one forceful thrust and I felt his cock spasm inside me. I came at the same time and again, it was like he was pumping his cum through me and it was shooting out of my cock as we had simultaneous orgasms. We lay there trying to catch our breath. Finally Lucas slid to my side and kissed me. "It's definitely better when we have the boat to ourselves," he agreed. "Either that or we had too much recreational sex on the trip down here," I wondered. "No, we can never have too much sex," Lucas giggled, " but making love is always better," and kissed me again. As I lay with Lucas's arm draped over my chest and his legs laying over mine, my mind was wandering to random thoughts. I remembered what Earnest had said about me being so self-confident. He was partially right. I am when I am at work because I know what I am doing and I am good at it, damn good. Up until our voyage with Mike and Dwayne I didn't have that kind of confidence in my relationship with Lucas, considering my poor track record relationships. But due to the events of the trip, I have never felt so secure in my relationship with him. I was glad Mike was along for logistical backup but I never had to rely on his experience while I was at the helm. True, he helped plot our course and arrange our ports of call along the way, but I was sailing the boat. I was the captain! My job, my relationship with Lucas, my skills on the water? By god, I was the master of my universe and all that I encountered. Whoa! Now I'm sounding like that cocky bastard that Earnest said I wasn't. Guess I better tone back the bravado, a little. Lol. After we had rested, Lucas went and washed up so we could enjoy some nice slow satisfying mutual oral. He had already came once so I was the first to unload in his mouth. That gave me the chance to move around between his legs and concentrate on giving him the best sucking that I knew how. At the end of a day of a whole lot of long overdue catch up sex, we both decided that we liked Florida. The following weekend Lucas and I spent with Earnest and his wife getting to know the area. Where to shop for food, computers, clothing and the best places to eat out, both basic and fancy. And of course we had to stop at his favorite hardware store and from there the last stop was the local chandlery. "Is that a place that sells candles?" Lucas innocently asked. "No, that is an old term for a ships store, a place you can buy almost anything you need for a boat or a ship," I explained. "I've never heard of that term before," Lucas commented. "I'll have to remember that one." "If you hang around Earnest, you'll learn a lot of 'old' terms that no one uses anymore," his wife said, leading us all in a round of hearty laughter at Earnest's expense. "Hang around Earnest and you'll learn a lot of things, old and new," I threw in sticking up for my friend. Life was too good to be true. We had been in this southern paradise for a little over a month now. I was fitting right in with the rest of the engineering team at work, cementing my friendship with Earnest. Lucas was doing fabulous with his on line schoolwork. His afternoons were free so he made friends with Todd, a high school senior like himself, who worked at the marina doing essentially the same job Lucas did for Randy. Todd was not as good a student as Lucas and was struggling in math and physics. Todd's parents insisted that he cut back at the marina and only work Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturday. The owner of the marina was not happy and told Todd he would have to look for someone else to take his job. Lucas stepped up to fill in the off days so Todd could keep his job until his grades improved and he could get back to working every afternoon. Math and physics were both strong areas for Lucas so he volunteered to help Todd study. I would often find the two of them at the galley table huddled over a textbook and some notebooks when I got back to the boat on the days Todd worked. Over the course of just several weeks, Todd's grades improved enough for him to return to his usual shifts. Lucas enjoyed keeping busy so he worked right along side Todd. The owner told Lucas he couldn't afford to pay both boys but Lucas declined a paycheck. He just wanted to help Todd. Besides, Lucas didn't need the money anyway. I was happy to see Lucas find a friend so he wasn't alone while I was working. Lucas opened up to me one night about Todd. "I want you to know that I like Todd, but only as a friend. There in nothing going on between us," Lucas affirmed. "I never said there was," I replied. Secure in our relationship now, I had never given a thought to anything between them other than being good friends. "Just wanted to make that clear. He's so damn straight, I'm amazed his legs bend when he walks," Lucas laughed. We had reservations to fly back up north to spend Thanksgiving with Randy and Edgar. We were both looking forward to seeing them again as well as Mike and Dwayne. Our idyllic lifestyle here was great but we missed our friends. We texted and emailed but that was not the same as spending time with them in person. Three days before we were to fly out, the weatherman was forecasting a late season storm coming our way. It was tracking more out to sea and we would only catch the edge of the storm. It was a strong storm so we felt lucky the center of the storm would miss us. It looked like we would fly out just ahead of the storm so it wouldn't affect our plans. But we had to prepare the boat for what would hit our area. "We better get to the candle place and get some more lines and fenders to really secure the boat. Todd said he'd keep an eye on it but I want to make sure we do everything we can before we leave," Lucas said with a worried expression. "You mean the 'chandlery', not the candle store?" I laughed. "Whatever the hell it's called, we need to get there now before they are sold out of supplies." "I was planning on that. I want to stop at the hardware store and get the largest pump they have in case we get a lot of rain with this storm and the bilge pump can't keep up," I reassured him to calm his nerves. We came back with enough fenders to put them every four feet along the hull. We tied, cross tied and double tied using so much line it looked like our poor boat had been caught in a huge spider web. It may have been overkill but we could rest easy knowing she would be safe. I got up early the day before we were to fly out. The sky had an ominous look to it and the air was heavy with the smell of salt. The wind was non existent, a sure sign of something headed our way. The old saying, 'the calm before the storm', was not just a saying, it was true. I turned on the weather report and the storm had change track over night and we were in for a more direct hit. I called the airlines to fly out today but all flights in and out of south Florida had been cancelled. I called Randy and gave him the bad news. He wanted me to keep him informed on how we were doing and if the boat suffered any damage. I woke Lucas and gave him the bad news. Then we made a quick trip to the market to get some food and water. Not expecting to be on board for the holiday, we had let our supplies run low. The stores were low but we managed to get enough to get us by for a few says. Getting back, Lucas went to help Todd who was helping others in the marina secure their boats. Gary, the owner of Bay Side Marina where we had made our home for the winter, warned against sleeping on the boat during the storm. There was no way we were going to leave our boat to the ravages of the storm alone. 'This is Us' included all three of us, the boat, Lucas and myself. By nightfall the wind had picked up with the arrival of the weather front moving in over us. The boat didn't move a lot because of how we had it tied, tight but with opposing lines so it could move with the wind, the waves, and the tide. We knew we hadn't felt the brunt of the storm. The winds increased through the next day and into the night, reaching their full force around midnight. Every half-hour or so one of us would go up on deck and check to make sure all was secure. So far, so good. Our boat was berthed at the end of our row closest to the ocean. Gary felt it would be the best spot for us to spend the winter, based on the size of the boat. An end berth would make it easier coming and going. As such, our boat took the major hit of the wind, acting as a buffer of sorts for the rest of the boats in our row. I was about to get out of bed to take my turn on deck checking our lines when the boat was hit hard by something and threw me on the floor. "What the hell was that?" Lucas yelled out, shooting out of bed. "I have no idea. It wasn't the boat hitting the dock so something must have hit us," as I ran for the door and out on deck just in time to see a boat had torn loose from it's mooring and had been blown right into the side of our bow. I ran to the gunwale and looked over to see a huge hole where we were hit. The attacking boat was being blown down the marina and was destined to end up on the rocks of the seawall on its current path. "Quick Lucas, take a knife and cut the jib sail lose and bring it back with as much line as you can find!" I shouted over the roar of the wind. "The sail? What are you going to do with that?" he yelled back. "We going to fother the hole before we sink. Hurry, we don't have much time. I'm going below and start the pumps. Hurry!" I shouted as I took off to start the pumps. Lucas came back and we tied the lines to the four corners of the sail then threw it over board. Using the lines to maneuver it we got it into position to cover the hole. "Now pull as hard as you can and then tie off the lines!" I hollered to him. Time was off the essence. Every second counted. We managed to get the slack pulled and had the sail positioned over the hole. It wasn't watertight by any means but it slowed the leakage to the point where the pumps could keep up and we wouldn't loose the boat. We went below to get out of the storm and check on the pumps. "What did you call what we just did, 'fostering'?" Lucas asked me. "'Fothering'. It's an old nautical trick to slow the leakage from major hull damage until the boat can get to shore or dry dock," I explained to him. "Another term from Earnest?" he asked sarcastically. "Actually no, I remember Uncle Bart talking about it when two boats collided at sea when we were out sailing. Both boats sank before anyone could help them. We were able to bring the passengers on board and return them to shore. Uncle Bart said it was a shame they didn't know about fothering, it could have saved their boats. Seeing two nice boats lost made a big impression on me. I've always remembered his explanation" I told Lucas. "So even though Bart is no longer with us, karma brought him back in your mind to save his boat. Way cool!" Lucas smiled. "He entrusted his boat to us and there is no way we are going to loose it. We'll get it pulled as soon as the storm passes and get repairs made." Looking up towards the sky I whispered, "Thanks Uncle Bart." Lucas did the same. I felt it best not to go back aboard except to check the pumps every now and then. Lucas ran past me and below deck as I hollered after him. He came back on deck and jumped onto the dock with the picture album and the mugs Randy had given us. "I'm not going to take a chance of loosing these. Everything else on board can be replaced easy enough," he stated firmly. He was one hundred percent correct. By daybreak the worst of the storm had passed. Lucas and I went out to check the boat from bow to stern. The only real damage was the gapping hole in her hull. Other boat owners started showing up and checking on their boats, all of which had minimal damage. All except the boat that struck us. It had indeed been blown up on the rocks of the seawall and was now nothing but debris on the rocks and in the water. I actually felt back for our attacker but angry towards its owner for not taking proper precautions to prevent it from breaking loose. Gary came down and saw the damage to our hull and the sail tied over the hole. :"That was mighty quick thinking. Without that, your boat would be on the bottom this morning. What made you think to tie a sail over the hole?" he asked as he scratched his head. "You don't know about fothering? What kind of a sailor are you?" asked Lucas, as if he was an old salt. "I'm not a sailor, son. I own a marina because I like the looks of all these fine boats but you would never catch me on one. Thirty or forty feet of wood between me and a gazillion miles of angry mean salt water? No thank you," he shook his head. "You don't know what you're missing, Gary. Someday we'll take you out and you can enjoy the greatest experience of your life," I offered him. "That's what someone told me about marriage. I'm divorced now," he said dryly. "I'll schedule your boat to be pulled later today so you can assess the damage and arrange for repairs," he smiled and walked away to check on the other boats. I called Randy to tell him what happened and why we wouldn't be able to come up for Thanksgiving. "I was wondering how you made out with the storm. Are you and Lucas okay?" Randy asked me. "Physically, yes, mentally no. Looking at the hole in the hull is killing us. The pumps are still keeping the water at a manageable level until we can get the boat out later today. Then I have to find someone who can repair the damage. I have no idea who to call who would do the job right," I lamented. "Call this guy, he's the best on the Easy coast, from Maine to Florida," Randy said as Gary came back to me to tell me to call the crane guy and set up the appointment to get it out. I got the number and quickly ended my call so I could call the crane guy and get everything confirmed. Then I called the man Randy had suggested for repairs. "Hello, Mr Ferguson?" as I replied to his hello. "Yes, this is he," a strong deep voice confirmed. "I'm over at Bay Side Marina and my boat got damaged in last night's storm. I was wondering if you could take a look at it and give me an assessment of the damages." I started before he could interrupt me. "What kind of damage was done?" he asked. "Another boat tore loose and slammed into our boat making a huge hole in the hull." "Is the boat sunk? What kind of boat do you have?" "No, we have made temporary repairs and slowed the leakage so the pumps can keep up. It's scheduled to be pulled from the water this afternoon," I informed him. "A lot of my regular customers have already been calling. I wouldn't be able to even get out to look at it for another week or two. I have no idea when I could actually make the repairs. What kind of boat was it again?" I described the boat and the size of the hole. "We're down here for the winter and won't be headed back to New England until spring so there is no great hurry on making the repairs, as long as everything is done properly. I'm told you are the one who could do that." "You say you're from New England? Your boat sounds like one I used to know that was berthed on Cape Cod. Not many are still around like that one but I'm sure it can't be the same one. Old Bart would never part with his boat. He loved that boat more than life itself. Retired Navy man, enjoying his remaining years," he sighed. "Are you talking about Bart Benson?" I asked astonished that he would know my uncle. "Why yes I am. This isn't his boat is it?" he asked getting more animated in his tone. "It sure is, the one and only," I proudly answered. "How the hell did you end up with. You must have pried it from his dead cold hands," he replied with a chuckle. "How is the old sea dog? I haven't seen him in years." "It wasn't exactly the way I got the boat, but close. Uncle Bart passed earlier this spring. He left me his boat in his will," I explained with a heavy heart. "Your uncle? Wait a minute, you said your name was Paul? Don't tell me you're the nephew that he talked about constantly. He would always show me a picture of the two of you on the boat. Sum bitch, what a small world." "I'm that Paul. He never mentioned your name or if he did I don't remember it," I apologized. "I wasn't around too much by the time you were. I was a cabinetmaker by trade and things were slow for me. The man who owned the marina, a guy named Randy, got in touch with me to do some repairs on the interior of your uncle's boat. One thing led to another and I eventually started doing exclusively boat work. Randy suggested I move south where the boating industry wasn't so seasonal. I tried to keep in touch with both of them but I moved around too much and finally lost track of them. Damn, I can't believe I'm talking with Bart's nephew. Your uncle was one hell of a sailor. And a hot shit to boot. Did he ever tell you about the time he ran the Canal at full sail?" "He didn't but our Coast Guard friends certainly have. They even have the video that was taken on the surveillance cameras. It looked like it was a hell of a ride." "I would love to see that video. Does Randy still run the marina? I know he was pretty shook up after his wife died and he went through a rough time." "Still owns it and my partner and I are going to purchase part of it when we go back home for Christmas," I told him. "We're going to be partners." "Look, this is too much for me to put off. I'm going to cancel some appointments and I'll be at Bay Side in an hour. Don't let them pull the boat until I get there. I'm not familiar with the crane operator they use and sometimes they can do more damage to the boat if they don't know what they're doing. Randy used to pull the boats for me and it was like watching a mother lift her baby out of the crib. So smooth and delicate assuring no more damage was done." "I don't know how to thank you, Mr Ferguson. We'll be waiting." "Please, call me Victor. I'll see you shortly," and he hung up. Lucas had been listening to my end of the conversation. "So what did he say? How does he know Bart and Randy/ Will he be able to fix the boat?" he fired off questions faster than I could answer them. "He's coming now. I think we have to get used to the fact that Uncle Bart is a legend and we will run into people who knew him or know of him no matter where we go. If we're within 10 miles of salt water, Bart's name will come up some how in conversation," I shook my head as I told Lucas. We both smiled ear to ear knowing that he was our Bart and would always be with us. Victor showed up right on schedule and examined the boat. I introduced him to Lucas and then led him to the dock. He looked at the sail tied over the hole and just smiled and shook his head. I was afraid he was displeased with our temporary repair. "We were hit in the middle of the night at the height of the storm. We were desperate so I fothered the hole to keep the boat from sinking. That let the pumps do their job," I explained in my defense. "Let alone knowing about fothering, you telling me you and Lucas did this by yourselves in the pitch black of night with the storm raging at it's worst? Jesus Christ, you certainly are Bart's nephew. He's the only man I know who could pull that off, until now." Victor turned to Lucas and I and shook our hands then gave each one of us a hug. "It's an honor and a privilege to know both of you," he told us with a tear in his eye. We got the boat out of the water and on dry land. Victor examined the damage from the outside then the inside, scratching his chin and repeatedly saying, "Uh huh, mmm, oh boy," making me nervous about where or not he could put the boat back in seaworthy condition. "So, is it fixable?" I finally had to ask. "Anything is fixable. It won't be quick and it won't be cheap but when I'm done you'll never know it happened," he told us in a somewhat cocky attitude. "We called you because we were told you were the best. If Uncle Bart worked with you then that speaks all we need to know about your skills. We didn't call you because we wanted cheap or fast. If we wanted that we would have just nailed some plywood over the hole and sealed it with pitch black. If you'll take the job, cost and time is not a problem. Just done right is what matters," I told him firmly but nicely. "Yup, you sure as hell are Bart's nephew. This will take several months and could run as much as . . ." not be able to finish his sentence as I stopped him. " I don't want an estimate so you're not locked into a figure. Do what needs to be done. If you find anything else on the boat, any thing at all, that needs attention, please add that to your list." "Bart is slapping his knee in approval and laughing up in heaven so loud the angels are holding their ears. When I'm done, both of you and your uncle will be pleased, I guarantee it." That said, I gave him a check for twenty thousand dollars as a deposit. "If you need more, just let me know," I assured him as the boat was being loaded onto a trailer to be hauled back to his shop. Lucas looked at me and squirmed, "That's a lot of money. Should you have given him that much all at once?" "I want him to know that he isn't locked into a budget. Don't you think "This is Us" is worth that much, or more?" I asked Lucas seriously. "You're right, as always." It had been a long day and we were both exhausted. I suggested we go buy some clothes and toiletries to replace the one we left on the boat. We didn't want to be on the boat in the water and it's not good to walk around on the boat when it's out of the water and not properly supported. Lucas just wanted to go get a room and get some sleep. He reasoned that we sleep naked anyway so we could go shopping tomorrow morning. I agreed with him. We told Gary of our plans and were about to head out when Todd showed up. He was very upset that our boat was not in its berth. We took him over to where the boat was being loaded to show him the damage to the hull. As he was peering in the hole, Victor came around our side of the boat. "Is this another one of your crew?" he asked with a grin. "I'm hoping to be, sir," Todd answered smiling at Lucas then me. "So that would make you the Three Musketeers?" Victor asked. "More like the three bilge rats," Lucas threw in. "Or the Three Stooges," I offered. We were walking back to get our car when I noticed Todd was still grinning as he glanced back and forth between Lucas and myself. I think he liked the idea that he was considered one of us. Would we have to come up with a new plural of 'us' and rename the boat?