There is something about stepping on board a ship that tells the universe, "All right--I'm putting myself in your hands". When you're at sea, you should be as knowledgeable as you can, and as safe as it is possible to be. Your lines should be coiled so that when you need them, they are free of tangles. Your sails should be mended, and your engines recently serviced and constantly maintained. You should have plenty of supplies. You should sail with people who are honest, reliable, experienced, trustworthy. Even if you don't believe in superstitions, you should observe them out of respect for the tradition that brought them about.
At sea, anything can happen. Sailors have seen and struggled with sea monsters greater than their ships. Storms appear from nowhere and hit like the fury of the gods--for no reason that man can see. Unseen reefs, sudden squalls and broken equipment are all part of the normal routine of being at sea.
When Mikki Madigan boarded the Barbaree, she didn't know what the sea might hold for her. She clambered up that ladder with an open mind, a trusting heart and faith in crusty old Pete--a man she had just met. But she knew her journey had to begin and crossing the ocean was the only way...So she took a chance.
