Boating In The

Territory

  by Bonzai Yak

  112 pages

Chapter 3: Territory Maps (part e)

 

Good place to land is the northwestern tip. It's part of a weathered seawall that protects the boats in the port further in. You could sail yourself into the harbour too, but it's not such a necessary thing to do unless you're in one of those huge cargo ships. If your boat is more of a regular size there's a nice landing place at the end of the seawall. A mainstay bolt that came from the boat of the Great Pirate Chief is buried there. As he sailed away from the island one day he threw it off to make a hole in the whole of his boat. Did the same thing a number of times in a number of places that nobody knows or so they say. But this time I saw him do it myself, so I buried the bolt where it landed that day with just the top sticking out. Whenever I land my boat on the seawall, I take my first step on top of that bolt. Brings me good luck and a fair weather breeze to help me sail wherever I please. Funny thing about the Great Pirate Chief. He threw out parts of his boat like that for years and years. Can't be much of it left anymore, but if there was ever a man alive who could sail the seas and arrive back at shore in an empty ship, it's gotta be him.

map-1

The Great Pirate Chief, now there was a guy, I could write a whole book about him right now without even trying; I'd do it too if I wasn't writing this one about boats and the Territory already. Oh he was the Prince Of Cats he was, still is you know or at least so they say; trouble is though he hasn't been seen for days and days or weeks or months or years - it's nearly a couple of decades at least since anyone's seen him at all. I recall very well when he went away, he hoisted up anchor late in the day when the sun was setting behind the hills and the moon was rising across the bay. Where he was going he wouldn't say, completely alone and without any crew he sailed away on a secret tack that no-one else knew. He never looked back, but he laughed his fill as his ship disappeared out to sea. He'll return some day the very same way, and me, I'm planning to be right here to welcome him home.

Continue on to next page

return to Bonzai Yak's page