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Dying in a storm, Wind Jammer reflects on his life.
This story was written in memory of another Helena that disappeared in 2004 in Hurricane Ivan and for all those who sail as a life style or living.
Thank you both for your comments. I know it's not stellar writing, but it is a piece that is rather special to me.
I was one of the last people to speak to the fellow who inspired this story. He was on his way back to his boat after checking out of the country and stopped to speak to me and my mother as we were watching satellite loops of weather systems coming off Africa. After Ivan passed we heard that his family had arrived on the island. He had gone missing and hadn't made his port of destination in South America. From what we knew of his course he'd have been in the middle of Ivan as the storm was increasing from a Cat 3 to Cat 4. I've felt partially guilty for years and have wondered if I could have done or said anything differently that would have made him reconsider leaving when he did.
The boat was a real boat that most certainly was a ketch and had a swinging keel. At least, I remember it as a ketch.
Thank you. I wrote this mostly as therapy to help grieve. It's very flawed and I know I could do far better now. But having written it right after 5 years of barely typing a word, it's not terrible either. 
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