C James

That's an interesting article and information, thanks! One thing to bear in mind; a modern yacht can go against the wind by tacking, but it's slow and arduous, often called "beating and bashing". Also, a catamaran like Atlantis and also some monohull yachts are faster moving across the wind than running before it. So, if the wind is from the west, a sailboat could easily use it to go east, north, south, or even north by northwest or south by southwest. A sailboat, when tacking, is actually moving into the wind at an angle. If not tacking and just doing, say, a course of northwest when the wind is out of the west, it's called sailing close hauled. Further complicating things is that different types of sailboat would look at the same conditions and chose different routes. A 30 ft monohull would favor different conditions than a far faster catamaran. Also, fast boats, like a Catamaran, Trimaran, or a very fast monohull like an open 50, don't worry as much about storms en route; they are fast enough to outrun or dodge them. This is not the case for a 30 foot monohull that probably has a hull speed (maximum speed) in the 6 knot range; they are very much at risk of being caught by weather. BTW, by "Weather" I include wind, waves, ocean currents, fog, rain, low and high-pressure systems, and tropical events (Tropical storms, hurricanes, etc). Waves are probably the most critical weather element since they have the greatest potential effect on a vessel's stability and its ability to make progress toward a given destination. Basically, one can sum up route planning like this; if you're going west, you'll stay mainly in the tropics. If you're going east, you'll be in higher latitudes (further north or south) and exposed to more severe weather and sea conditions, but also to faster times.

I can't say (it would be a spoiler if I did) whether the freighter on autopilot and no one on watch is significant to coming events, but I can say that it's a fairly common occurrence. Also, a great many yachts have been lost due to being run down by freighters and other large ships. Several without-a-trace vanishings are suspected to be from this cause. This is an even greater danger to long-distance solo sailors, because they have to sleep sometime. They usually have radar alarms set, but those are not 100% accurate. Sometimes I put things in just for detail and color. Sometimes I put things in as red herrings, and sometimes they are foreshadowing and will be very relevant later. You're right, falling asleep while underway is dangerous, especially in a bush shipping lane or near land. The problem is, it's required if you're crossing an ocean solo. Sailing with one or more people is definitely safer. Solo sailing is less dangerous in recent years thanks to radar alarms, but it's still risky. Also, radar can't pick up some hazards, such as floating debris that can hole a hull. Back a decade or more ago, solo sailors didn't have radar alarms or radar. I've read a few accounts of them waking up and seeing a large ship that has just passed. There are other cases where they simply didn't wake up at all, ever, due to a collision. Even when sailing with several aboard, things can happen. Sometimes, you get a mystery, like the entire crew just vanishing but the yacht is okay. Other times, boat and crew both vanish without a trace. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1042910/Mystery-solved-Mary-Celeste-yacht-crew-disappeared-leaving-engine-running.html Erk! Now, now, please bear in mind that you're trying to hold me accountable for something I never said!!! I can prove it. Here's the relevant passage, The middle paragraph is explicit; Joel was saying that, not the narrator. So, therefor, those are Joel's words, not mine! What did Joel mean? I can only speculate that it's something to do with the fact that Canadians are notorious for speedo-wearing in Florida. That's just a guess; for clarification, you'll have to ask Joel. Excellent speculation and a sharp eye!!!! I can't confirm what they mean, but those are key passages. I can confirm that "a few months" may, or may not, mean Christmas.

In the chapter 10 thread, Alphadog raised an excellent set of points. It's a complex issue, so I thought I'd start a new thread for it. Here are four hypothetical routes from Florida to Australia; I've highlighted the one that would fit for his current heading. The four routes are: West, via the Panama Canal, South and then west, via Cape Horn (tip of S. America) South and then east,via cape hope (South Africa) or east, via the Mediterranean and Suez Canal. The antipodal point (point on the opposite side of the globe) for Ft Pierce (Trevor's home) is in the central southern Indian Ocean, about a thousand miles west of Australia. Therefor, the shortest route would be via the Panama Canal. But... it's not that simple. The deciding factor is winds. The route via Panama and a direct transpacific run would put Atalntis in headwinds or the intertropical convergence zone (doldrums, where there can be periods of no wind for weeks) and would be extremely difficult (the only way to sail into the wind is to tack back and forth, making for very slow and difficult going and more than doubling the actual length sailed for those areas). Atlantis could avoid this by striking east from Panama and beating close hauled (slightly upwind) towards Hawaii, and then heading west, and then south. That would solve much of the wind problem, but still leaves the doldrums issue. This route is feasible, but would actually end up being longer and slower than the eastbound routes. However, it's a viable route. Similar would hold true for rounding Cape Horn; the roaring 40's have eastbound winds, so same problem, but far harder to fix with a route change. This route is technically possible but would be incredibly difficult (the roaring 40's also hold some of the roughest seas on earth.) Rounding South Africa is an option. Once Atlantis reached it, she'd have generally following winds, but getting there is a sizable detour, and from Florida to South Africa would be difficult; the winds often vary by season, and in the southeast Atlantis are often northerly so it would be difficult sailing, and crossing the central Atlantic would also be difficult (the prevailing winds run from northern Africa towards the Americas) but it is a feasible route, just long and potentially very difficult. It would also require crossing the Indian Ocean at about 30 degrees south latitude, and those can be stormy waters. However, it is a viable route. The fourth option would be to head up the US cost from Florida, riding the gulf stream, and then take the eastbound winds across to southern Europe. Where would depend on the position and existence of the Bermuda High, though for mid summer, turning to a northeastern track around Cape Hatteras would be a likely option, taking a great circle route, passing close to the Azores, towards Spain. Then go via the Mediterranean and the Suez canal, down the Red Sea, and into the north Indian Ocean, then cut across the NE trades by heading rough south and then bending east. This also puts you in the doldrums in the central Indian Ocean, and this route is more prone to seasonal wind changes (that's why sailors often use the term "weather window"; a forecast for winds favorable for their direction of travel). However, this is also a very viable route. Piracy is indeed an issue for yachting in some areas. Several yachtsmen have been murdered, many more have been robbed, beaten, held hostage, etc. Also, there have been mysterious disappearances that could be due to piracy. The Red Sea - Horn of Africa route goes close to Somalia, but as you mention, there are other trouble spots; Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the South China Sea, Brazil, the Caribbean (mainly in the far south) etc. There have also been attacks in areas not known for piracy. Another routing that fits Trevor's current course would be to cross the Atlantic almost to Europe, and then turn south, following the southerlies that usually blow in the area, past the Canary and Cape Verde islands, and then tack across the northeast trades towards Brazil, then turn south until reaching the westerlies to head towards South Africa and around Cape Horn. I'll see if I can find some links to seasonal wind maps to post. One thing to bear in mind; weather changes, and winds might not always blow in the direction they normally do. I'll add more to this thread once we know more of Trevor's plans, but if anyone has any questions, please ask! Edit: Okay, here's one link, but, it shows current wind and weather, not historical or seasonal. http://www.passageweather.com/

Very good theories! In many cases, parents do indeed assume heterosexuality. Trever thinks Dirk understood when Trevor tried sounding him out, and so Trevor now thinks that Dirk knows Trevor is gay. Trevor has shown a past tendency to be wrong, so he might be here as well. On the other hand, The gay issue is far from the only one, so things can be complicated. And, um, a PIRATE song!?!!? Come now, surely you don't think Trevor is going to hoist the Jolly Roger and take up piracy?

If the mast was removed, he could definitely motor to Nebraska, and probably wouldn't even need to refuel to do it... err, well, actually, I'm wrong; Atlantis has a range of over 1500 miles BUT going upriver he'd be heading into the current. Okay, he'd need to fill up once. BTW, a couple of years ago, I transited the Kiel Canal (from the north sea across the base of Denmark to the Baltic) in a cruise ship that was just a bit too tall to fit under the bridges. The stack was about 5 feet too high. I'll attach a few photos I took of how they did it. It was fun to see, and I made a point of standing as high as I could on the ship. It was a blast having the bridge swoop by about 12 feet overhead. I love going under bridges, but that's the first time I've been under one with such a low clearance relative to the ship. Let's just say there are plenty of visuals in many coming chapter. Thanks! All I can say is... keep reading, because clothes and boats in hot climates are a bad mix. Who? Me? Here are four hypothetical routes to Australia; I've highlighted the one that would fit for his current heading. The four routes are: West, via the Panama Canal, South and then west, via Cape Horn (tip od S. America) South and then east,via cape hope (South Africa) or east, via the Mediterranean and Suez Canal. The antipodal point (point on the opposite side of the globe) for Ft Pierce (Trevor's home) is in the central southern Indian Ocean, about a thousand miles west of Australia. Therefor, the shortest route would be via the Panama Canal. But... it's not that simple. The deciding factor is winds. The route via Panama and a direct transpacific run would put Atalntis in headwinds or the intertropical convergence zone (doldrums, where there can be periods of no wind for weeks) and would be extremely difficult (the only way to sail into the wind is to tack back and forth, making for very slow and difficult going and more than doubling the actual length sailed for those areas). Atlantis could avoid this by striking east from Panama and beating close hauled (slightly upwind) towards Hawaii, and then heading west, and then south. That would solve much of the wind problem, but still leaves the doldrums issue. This route is feasible, but would actually end up being longer and slower than the eastbound routes. However, it's a viable route. Similar would hold true for rounding Cape Horn; the roaring 40's have eastbound winds, so same problem, but far harder to fix with a route change. This route is technically possible but would be incredibly difficult (the roaring 40's also hold some of the roughest seas on earth.) Rounding South Africa is an option. Once Atlantis reached it, she'd have generally following winds, but getting there is a sizable detour, and from Florida to South Africa would be difficult; the winds often vary by season, and in the southeast Atlantis are often northerly so it would be difficult sailing, and crossing the central Atlantic would also be difficult (the prevailing winds run from northern Africa towards the Americas) but it is a feasible route, just long and potentially very difficult. It would also require crossing the Indian Ocean at about 30 degrees south latitude, and those can be stormy waters. However, it is a viable route. The fourth option would be to head up the US cost from Florida, riding the gulf stream, and then take the eastbound winds across to southern Europe. Where would depend on the position and existence of the Bermuda High, though for mid summer, turning to a northeastern track around Cape Hatteras would be a likely option, taking a great circle route, passing close to the Azores, towards Spain. Then go via the Mediterranean and the Suez canal, down the Red Sea, and into the north Indian Ocean, then cut across the NE trades by heading rough south and then bending east. This also puts you in the doldrums in the central Indian Ocean, and this route is more prone to seasonal wind changes (that's why sailors often use the term "weather window"; a forecast for winds favorable for their direction of travel). However, this is also a very viable route. We'll see in the coming chapter what his plans are. Trevor is good at navigation; he has been mentioned as having (and knowing how to use) a sextant. He also has (and uses) clearpoint weather, which gives him updated reports on wind and weather. On the other hand, he is also prone to rash decisions.

In Florida it's either 16 or 17, and the Florida Department of Education cites BOTH ages. Ah, Florida! :wacko: (and if Emoe reads this, I'm in trouble!) Depth wouldn't be a problem at all. Atlantis has a draft of about 3 and a half feet in salt water, so she'd be deeper in fresh water, but not by more than an inch or so. But, it's height that would be the roadblock: the Missisippi would be navigable for Atlantis only until Cape Girardeau, MO, because the bridge there is too low. Everything south of there has over a hundred foot clearance, but the mast wouldn't fit under the Cape Girardeau bridge, or anything north of it. :-) The only answer, of course, is to blame Canada! (I do!)

Happy Australia Day! To all our Australian members, have a great Australia Day, and watch out for all the scary Australian wildlife; Box Jellyfish Blue-ring Octopus 8 out of 10 of the world's deadliest snakes (including the most deadly) And the scariest and most dangerous of all, the Echidna!

Trevor could go via the Northeast passage; Head north of Europe and across the top of Russia, then down into the Pacific via the Bearing Strait between Russia and Alaska, but that route, while navigable in late summer, would be exceedingly difficult, and he would encounter a great deal of floating ice. Or, he could be attempting a direct across-the-pole route, such as the one I mentioned for Dirk as a possible circumnavigation route to Miami. My own personal theory is he will head up the US East Coast until he gets to Maine, and then hang a left, sailing along the US northern boarder, westward to the Pacific. All he would have to do is attach skis to Atlantis: they do call Canada the "Great White North" after all. Okay, to be honest, I will say this; taking the Gulf Stream north and then cutting east across the Atlantic would be his most viable route to Europe, if that's where he's going. The mid-latitude winds that time of year blow east, and there is often a high pressure center near Bermuda called the Bermuda High, and high pressure cells rotate counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, giving strong easterly winds on the northern edge. This would be the most common eastbound route for an under-sail voyage from Florida to Europe. The northbound track makes sense. Europe is further north than many people realize; Paris, France is at the same latitude as Newfoundland, for example. Aww, why can't he sail to Nebraska? Isn't anyone going to buy my explanation for the title of Durk taking the long (long, LONG!) way around to get to Miami? Or that Trevor Circumnavigated Grand Bahama Island? The shuttle liftoff is kind of symbolic in some ways. In the prologue there is a shuttle launch as well. And shame on you for mentioning cliffs!! There surely can be in such things in a story of mine! All I can say about putting the story on hold for a long time is... wait for chapter 11. Now, you can't very well blame me for what Joel said about Canadians...

Does this mean I can call you a blabbermouth? CJ <--- just a shy and quiet lurker

Bleating? Me? Only when i am accused of a cliffhanger. Sorry, no paper is used, thus depriving me of a snack. And aww shucks... I'm just an average cliff-avoiding ruminant. Thanks, but if the Echidna finds out, I'll also be part pincushion, and those spines of his are SHARP! Umm, I didn't mean restaurant, it was I typo.... I meant Aardvark. 0:)

:blink: :blink: Uhoh. Ummm, can we please, please, please forget I mentioned any restaurant? Ummm, let's call it a table instead! Yeah, that would work, wouldn't it??? I, ummm, Kind of got ever so slightly confused, and, um, shall we say, confused 9 with 10. It's so easy to do... goats, after all, don't have fingers on which to count. Let's all be very, very quiet... what the Echidna does not know, won';t hurt me.... Shhhh..... :ph34r:

Isn't anyone going to comment on the possibility that Trevor, in CIRCUMNAVIGATING Grand Bahama Island, has given us the title of the story??!! :ph34r: The other possibility, of course, is that Dirk has a lousy sense of direction and is driving to Miami by heading north, thus circumnavigating via both poles. BTW, I'm also surprised that there were no comments about the restaurant scene in chapter 9; we both learned a lot and, shall we say, saw a lot. :devil:

My sincere thanks to everyone who has posted. There's some great speculation here! I can't really reply directly to much of it without giving spoilers, but I love reading it. It also lets me know how the story is coming across. One of the issues I wrestle with is that I often don't know how the characters are coming across. I see them a bit differently at times, due to knowing the entire plot, such as who actually did what, and what the character's core values are. But, in a serial especially, they can come across differently, in ways I didn't predict. The feedback here let's me see the story through other eyes, and that helps me greatly. So, my sincere thanks. CJ

We'll find out more soon, AND BTW, y'all missed it! Did you see this map of Trevor's route to the Bahamas and back? Umm, did he circle something? Yes he did! He circumnavigated Grand Bahama Island! Maybe this is the reason for the title of the story? Trevor is indeed a little reckless at times. he should have thought to be more cautious in many ways. He's new to being on the run, but he needs to learn. BTW, when he's anchored inshore like that, the radar would be off, so no warning at all. Trevor is indeed in a mess, more than he knows. Thanks Steve! Sorry for the late posting; I had no idea nyone would be waiting at that time of night. From now on, when possible, I'll post within half an hour after midnight, Tuesday mornings, Arizona time (no DST here). I'll try anyway. Swimnming with a mayo jar is easy; just keep it in your hand. You can easily swim that way, just not as fast or as far. Using his phone was dangerous , but at least now, he's got Joel's phone. Thank you for pointing something out: Trevor is making assumptions without knowing the whole story. He's in the same boat we are. Maybe the circumnavigation already happened, and it was of that island? BTW, the next chapter is called "Launch". (Which might have something to do with this one being called "countdown") Thanks!! CJ

There was our friend from LTMP, whose appearance in Changing Lanes came as a surprise to many.

That game sounds interesting! For a boat like Atlantis, the doldrums aren't as big an issue as for most; she could just fire up her engines and motor for over a thousand miles. That's not enough to cross an ocean, but it should be enough to get out of the doldrums. BTW, please don't take any of this to mean that Trevor or Atlantis will be attempting to circumnavigate the earth. At this point in the story, we don't actually know that anything more than that Trevor is a central character, has an oceangoing catamaran, and the title of the novel is Circumnavigation. I am prohibited from saying anything more than that, on pain of echidna spines. Therefor, anything I say on routing, or circumnavigation, is purely hypothetical and might not be in the story at all. The pirates off Somalai would not be a big concern for Trevor, if, hypothetically, he tries to go by that route (assuming he indeed goes anywhere at all). The story time is, in chapter 9, summer of 2006. Back then, the pirates were not making the news anywhere near as much as they have been in the last couple of years, so they would not be so clear a threat in Trevor's mind. Ben was in chapter 2 and had one brief mention in chapter 3. My view is that characters in a story are like people in real life; sometimes, we meet them only briefly. Other times, we see them from time to time. And with others, they might appear after a while and then play a major role in our lives. You can never tell. One thing to keep in mind; it's early in the story yet. He's high-strung, that's very true. It doesn't help that he now is wondering if his father murdered his mother. It also probably doesn't help that he hasn't been laid in months, since breaking up with his former BF (mentioned in chapter one). My favorite lines by Lisa so far in the posted chapters;

Who, me? Be misleading? Of course, those explanations for the title are not mutually exclusive. Well, Trevor could do a circumnavigation via the poles, but that would make wearing a speedo a bit on the chilly side. (not to mention ice and a continent in the way) but, we still don't know if Trevor is the one circumnavigating. We also don't know what it is that will be circumnavigated. Maybe it's Bimini Island? Or downtown Ft Pierce, via skateboard? I can answer some of those questions, BUT, please don't take this as any sort of a plot hint; some or all of it may (or may not) be in the story. (sorry for the legalistic disclaimer, but one must always fear the Echidna!) Okay, first, visas. There are many kinds and the rules vary from country to country. In many cases, there is no age limit. That $16,000 might sound like a lot, but boats like Atlantis are expensive to run. For example, a new set of sails (if the old ones wear out, are shredded in a storm, etc) would cost a lot more than that. So would major engine repairs, or a host of other things. Now, for hypothetical routes to Australia; there are four main ones. West, via the Panama Canal, South and then west, via Cape Horn (tip od S. America) South and then east,via cape hope (South Africa) or east, via the Mediteranian and Suez Canal. The antipodal point (point on the oppisite side of the globe) for Ft Pierce (Trevor's home) is in the central southern Indian Ocean, about a thousand miles west of Australia. Therefor, the shortest route would be via the Panama Canal. But... it's not that simple. The deciding factor is winds. The route via Panama and a direct transpacific run would put Atalntis in headwinds or the intertropical convergance zone (doldrums, where there can be periods of no wind for weeks) and would be extreemly difficult (the only way to sail into the wind is to tack back and forth, making for very slow and difficult going and more than doubling the actual length sailed for those areas). Atlantis could avoid this by striking east from Panama and beating close hauled (slightly upwind) towards Hawaii, and then heading west, and then south. That would solve much of the wind problem, but still leaves the doldrums issue. This route is feasable, but would actually end up being longer and slower than the eastbound routes. However, it's a viable route. Similar would hold true for rounding Cape Horn; the roaring 40's have eastbound winds, so same problem, but far harder to fix with a route change. This route is technically possible but would be incredibly difficult (the roaring 40's also hold some of the roughest seas on earth.) Rounding South Africa is an option. Once Atlantis reached it, she'd have generally following winds, but getting there is a sizable detour, and from Florida to South Africa would be difficult; the winds often vary by season, and in the southeast Atlantis are often northerly so it would be difficult sailing, and crossing the central Atlantic would also be difficult (the prevailing winds run from northern Africa towards the Americas) but it is a feasable route, just long and potentially very difficult. It would also require crossing the Indian Ocean at about 30 degrees south latitude, and those can be stormy waters. However, it is a viable route. The fourth option would be to head up the US cost from Florida, riding the guld stream, and then take the eastbound winds across to southern Europe, then go via the Mediteranian and the Suez canal, down the Red Sea, and into the north Indian Ocean, then cut across the NE trades by heading rough south and then bending east. This also puts you in the doldurms in the central Indian Ocean, and this route is more prone to seasonal wind changes (that's why sailors often use the term "weather window"; a forcast for winds favorable for their direction of travel). However, this is also a viable route. Long story short, the most practical routes from Florida to Western Australia are eastbound, not westbound, even though it's slightly further as a straight-line distance. CJ

I wish I could, but I can't. If I did that, I'd end up running late on posting coming chapters; I have a buffer at the moment, but that gives my team breathing room, plus leaves something to post when I'm away on vacation. Thanks, and welcome!!!! The maps and Atlantis page came about by necessity; with a somewhat unusual boat, it was hard to visualize without the diagrams and pictures. Same for the maps; it's not easy to visualize an area based on words, so a map helps. This is especially true in cases where most people have an incorrect impression of what a specific area is like. One example I can give of that is Gibraltar; most people think Gibraltar is the north side of the Strait of Gibraltar and thus the closest point in Europe to Africa. In actuality, it's neither. Thank you VERY much for the comment on grammar and spelling. I take that as a high compliment, especially due to me being dyslexic (I've mentioned that in the forum before, but long ago and buried deep). That made my day. The main credit, though, goes to my wonderful team; these stories are very much a team effort, and they make multiple corrections per chapter. Thanks! CJ And a story note: The next chapter, coming Tuesday, is titled "Countdown"

Happy Birthday!!!

School is over, and it's the summer break between their junior and senior years. Sorry for the confusion; the reference to the school year was to the past, while Trevor was earning tips.

Thank you Rec!!!! I had a lot of fun writing those two stories. And thank you very much for the nominations! You're mainly right on explosive pyroclastic volcanoes, but there are exceptions. St. Hellens had thick, vicious lava, with a high disolved-gas content. Free-flowing lave generally has very low gas content. The gas content also makes for a very big bang. However, many volcanic eruptions (especially stratovolcanos, like La Palma's Cumbre Vieja) exhibit both features, sometimes even in the same eruption. In an early phase, the eruption might me explosive (Plinian, such as St. Helen's in 1980) and then later perhaps Strombolian, and than later,Hawiaan style, with lave flows. Cumbre Vieja has a history of having all three kinds. The mechanism is the lowering of the gas content in the magma as the erpution progresses. HOWEVER, I did indeed take artistic license; I am not sure Cumbre Vieja has ever had a plinian and a hawwian cycle in the same eruptive phase. I went with the theory that it might be possible, due to the initial ripping open of the mountain releasing pressure over a large area. St. Helens has also had Hawiian style eruptions, as well as Plinian ones, in its past (The hawiian sytle ones are why it has lava tube caves on the south side; Ape Caves). Where I really pushed a bit on the eruption was the timespan between the initial Plinian eruption and the lave flows. It's usually (but not always) that fast a progression. To be honest, I envy you for being so close to St. Hellens when it blew. I'd have loved to have seen that... My first visit to St Hellens was just over a year ago, after even the dome-building phase had ended. It is an awe-inspiring sight, especially when standing on Johnson ridge and looking into the blown-out north face, and seeing that, even from that distance, (5 miles)it blasted the ridge down to bedrock. I only spent a day there, but I'd love to return one day and see more of it. Thanks Rec!!!! CJ

Trevor's mother was an Australian Citizen by birth, so unless she renounced it, Trevor has the right of Australian citizenship by decent, any time he cares to claim it. We do not know if Trevor knows this, though he probably doesn't. Doing so would not harm his US citizenship. He would be a dual citizen. However, this would only give him Australian citizenship; it would not apply to other commonwealth countries. BTW, please don't read my knowledge of this as anything plot significant; I'm well known as a font of useless trivial information. Yes, assuming that she maintained her citizenship and did not become exclusively a US citizen. Conner is right; it has nothing to do with the commonwealth, so nothing that way, but as the son of an Australian, he has right of citizenship by decent under Australian law. (I looked that up just for this post.. interesting rules!) I'm the one who can't count! Just ask the team, who have saved us from three-armed characters on many occasions! In the original draft of the charter chapter, the passengers has three bags, and Trevor took them aboard by carrying one in each hand.... GREAT theories! I of course cannot comment, but those are great! [quote name=rknapp ' date='06 January 2010 - 07:48 PM' timestamp='1262832526' post='228573] No. My mother's mother came here from Scotland. My mother does not have citizenship in Scotland simply because of that. You have to seek dual citizenship... I don't think it can happen by circumstance. You do indeed have to seek it; its not automatic. BEWARE the Echidna!!!! And BTW, if Trevor did end up going to Australia, that's Echidna territory! He would be in danger! ACK! I can't save you from the spikey one! That remninds me of the old saying: "I don't have to outrun the bear, I only have to outrun you" Echidnas are known to be fairly fast but only for short distances, but I think both a human and a goat can outrun them. I think the general rule in Australia is that so long as you stay at least a half a kilometer from an Echidna, you're safe.

Maybe Graeme sank the Ares?? Trevor is indeed touchy on the "gay issue", but he confined that mainly to his thoughts. He has been trying hard to mend fences with his father... For example, His Dad asks him to just help out at the chandlery with inventory, and what does Trevor do? Trevor takes his first day of summer break and gets the entire job done. Trevor is trying to put things right, and Trevor is far from perfect, but he did keep his reactions over the "girlfriend" stuff to himself. We saw them, but Dad didn't. Is Trevor being stupid in some ways? He may well be, but that's not exactly unheard of with teenagers. After the divorce papers were found, I look at it differently; they are, after all, highly suspicious, and might indicate motive for murder. Whatever it is, Trevor knows his father hasn't been honest with him. I think that would mess with Trevor's head a bit, especially on the anniversary, which is already a trying time for him. As for Dirk, we see his thoughts only once in this chapter.

It wasn't a Buick. Yep, Trevor is stubborn and determined. Will the plot get a lot thicker? Ummm, at the risk of provoking the Echidna... yep. Joel? In something red? Absolutely! Coming very soon. He's reckless... But he's 16 (17, in a few days) and guys that age often think that way. What he was doing was very dangerous.... Freediving alone in the open sea is bad enough, btu trolling along behind his boat... in a busy shipping lane (that site is is indeed in a busy area) was very dangerous. He wouldn't hear his radar, nor have enough visibility to see danger in time. Ahh, but we don't know for sure that Trev's dad isn't going to Miami; all we know is he's heading in the opposite direction of it! He could be going to Miami the long way around; via both poles, 33,000 miles due to a rotten sense of direction, and hence the title of the story: Circumnavigation. The divorce papers, dated as they were, certainly throw a bit of doubt as to what went on.

Ack... but... but... but... I never said it was mine, I just said, er, oh.. Well, that isn't mine, I'd never have anything to do with a cliff, and besides, the place looks a bit drafty. That rock climber is in great danger and doesn't know it... Echidnas are very, very dangerous. Well, at least one of them is... Sneaky, isn't he? I know... he got me good! I'll keep trying... and let's not forget, the King of cliffhangers election is just about upon us, so lets all keep in mind that Graeme is under indictment by the Cliffhanger Police!