Chapter Three
At Sea
The Dutch-flagged motor ketch, AMSTEL, cleared the little French harbor at sunrise, lowered the local flag and set course due south for the North African coast. Casco’s alternate destination about eight hours sailing time away was Barcelona, where he had his primary operating base. But, if the east wind held, they would continue southward. Casco set the main, stay sail and mizzen, then keyed in the course of 180 degrees for the next few hours on the auto pilot and went below to arrange his photo/video gear so that he could get some good photos of his two new companions. He looked forward to this activity and felt, based on weather reports, that this cruise would be in fine Mediterranean weather with the boat reaching nicely on a more or less even keel and the wind st
