Collision Course

Everything stressful seems to happen in the darkness. It was night two of our voyage and my watch. There were still lots of boats around us as everyone hadn't yet spread out and dissipated. I was carefully watching our course and avoiding getting close to anyone. We were also at the end of the moon cycle and it was so dark.

Over the radio I hear "Mareas, Mareas this is Gladan, Gladan". Unfortunately the radio upstairs had the volume down since there had been so much radio activity during the day so I heard the muffled call from way down below. I tried to take the vhf radio from its holster and this was my first challenge. Finally success and we hear a second call from the boat. My anxiety is rising. I'm scanning the ocean for lights. I'm surveying my navigation system. Nothing seems unusually close. I am now trying to figure out how to turn up the volume on the radio with very little light. Graham passes me his headlamp and at this point I decide to just radio back. I press the talk button and call back. Turns out this fancy new vhf works like a telephone. You speak into the opposite side of it. I had no idea but somehow he heard us. He responds and we can't make out a thing he is saying and he is saying a lot. I rush down below close to the radio and Graham continues to scan the ocean. On my way to radio the captain, Berry gets up as well and we approach the radio and he kindly lets me know how to turn up the volume and that I'm speaking into the wrong side. I try Gladan again and then again and no answer. We both head up to the bridge and turn up the volume on the handset and Berry tries calling. Finally Gladan responds. His response is chilling. We are on a collision course with a Tiny Island!!

I begin zooming in and out on the navigation system and am saying there is nothing around us. Berry responds, "This is Mareas and I am most definitely NOT on a collision course with anything!"

Gladan comes back and let's us know he is not calling Mareas. He is calling another boat which we still didn't catch the name of and the boat named "Tiny Island" to let them know of the potential issue.

Well then.....never mind us. Oops. My terror at an Island collision dissipates and embarrassment sets in. We all have a good laugh and I school myself up on this new fangled radio. Lots of learning in this moment. Lol. And who the hell names their boat Tiny Island? Perhaps our next boat should be named "shallow reef"? ;-)

Here's to hoping we don't see any unexpected tiny islands out here. Still working on being a little less "Hello Lucy" and more "Amelia Earhart".