2020-04-01 Reader\'s Digest AUNZ

maximumspeed,ElFarowasriding
comfortablythroughlargeswellscom-
inginfromthenortheast.Davidson
waspleased.Forthenext 45 minutes,
heandSchultzcalculatedGPSway-
pointsandcourses,andlaidouta tidy
planfortherestofthetrip,including
a strongleftturnintheopenwaters
beyondSanSalvadorIsland,anda
straightshotacrossthebowofthe
hurricane.
Riehmandhishelmsmanappeared
onthebridgefortheir8pm-to-mid-
night.SchultzgaveRiehm a quick
briefing.
LaterRiehmin-
vitedthehelmsman
overtolookatthe
BVS.Hesaid,“Let’s
seehowthisthing
goes.Wecan’tout-
runit,youknow.It’s
morepowerfulthan
wethought.Thisis
supposedtohook
righthere.It’ssupposedtomakethis
stop.Whatif it doesn’t?”
“Whatifwegetclose?”thehelms-
manasked.“Wegetjammedinthose
islandsthere,anditstartscomin’at
us?”
Riehmresponded,“That’swhat
I’mthinking.MaybeI’mjustbeinga
ChickenLittle.I don’tknow.”
At10.54pmthesat-Cprinterdeliv-
eredthelatestfromtheNationalHur-
ricaneCenter.Joaquinhadexploded
intoa Category3 withmaximumsus-
tained winds of 185 km/h, and gusts

to220.It wasmovingsouth-southwest

atninekph.Byeightinthemorning,

it wasexpectedtobesustainingwinds

of 200 km/h,withguststo250.

Riehmplottedthestorm’spredict-

edpositionandlookedattheescape

route,whichwouldinvolvea strong

rightturntothesouthintothepas-

sagepastCrookedIslandandonto

theOldBahamaChannelbeyond.He

calledDavidsonandsaid,“Soat 0400

we’llbe 35 kilometresfromthecentre,

withmaxwinds 185 km/handgusts

to 220 and strengthening.”Theoption

thatwedohave–

fromwhatI cansee

• isat 0200 wecould
  head south, and
  thatwouldopenit
  upsome.”
  Davidson dis-
  missedtheplanand
  didnotcometothe
  bridge. Evidence
  suggeststhathewas
  stillshowinga preferencefortheani-
  matedBVSgraphics,whichindicated
  thestormprogressingmoreslowly.
  Theswellwasgrowing;theship
  wasmovingmoreheavilynow.Atone
  pointRiehmsaid,“Wedon’thaveany
  options.Wegotnowhere to go.”

“Hello,Joaquin”

Justbefore midnight,Randolph

arrivedwithDavistostandwatch.In

thepartialshelterofferedbySanSal-

vadorIsland,about 32 kilometresto

the east, the ship was movingmore

RANDOLPH

PROPOSEDTHE

ESCAPE ROUTE

TOTHE SOUTH.

DAVIDSON

REJECTED IT

121

Into the Teeth of a Hurricane