Starting Location:

"I was asleep on the second floor of our narrow gabled green house in Willemstad, on the island of Caracao, the largest of the Dutch islands off the coast of Venezuela" (9).

To learn more about the city of Willemstad and the location of the island of Caracao, research the websites:

(After entering one of the following linked sites, click on the "BACK" icon to return to The Cay Webquest.)

http://www.caribbeansupersite.com/curacao/willemstad.htm

http://www.caribbeansupersite.com/island_map.cfm?map=CIH064e.gif&key=20

http://www.webcom.com/earleltd/cr/crm.html

Destination:

"We'll start packing tomorrow, and on Friday, we leave aboard a ship for Miami" (25).

To see a map of the island of Caracao and Miami in relation to each other: (Notice the distance between the two locations.)

http://www.curacao.com/maps/

http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/namerica/crbmaps/caribmap.htm

The Ship:

"...we boarded the S.S. Hato in St. Anna Channel. She was a small Dutch freighter with a high bow and stern, and a bridge house in the middle between two decks... Usually she ran between Willemstad, Aruba, and Panama. She had a long stack and always puffed thick, black smoke" (26). 

The following is a picture of the schooner, Heritage, off the coast of Maine. To see what other schooners look like, click below.

http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Rapids/9100/index.html

 Port of Call:

"We turned toward Panama, as we had to make a call there before proceeding to Miami. Down on the well decks, fore and aft, were four massive pumps that had to be delivered to Colon, the port at the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal" (27-28).

Distance from Panama where ships went down:

"We were torpedoed at three o'clock in the morning on April 6, 1942, two days after leaving Panama" (29).

Time on the raft:

Day 1:

"A long time later (four hours I was told), I opened up my eyes to see the blue sky above" (31).

"Next when I awakened it was late afternoon" (35).

"Total darkness blotted out the sea, and it became cold and damp" (41).

Location

"As to our veree location, I mus' guess we are somewhere roun'd'cays, somewar mebbe fifteen latitude an'eighty long" (32).

What do latitude and longitude tell us when traveling? How do you read lines of latitude and longitude?

http://www.geosys.com/cgi-bin/genobject/mapskills_latlong/tige23c

http://www.hammondmap.com/latlong.html

See the islands of the Caribbean:

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/Libs?PCL/Map_collection/americas/Caribbean.GIF

http://www.athena.ivv.nasa.gov/curric/oceans/drifters/fdrift.html

Weather

"...lulled by the bobbing of the raft and by the soft pleasant sounds of the sea against the ol'barrel floats, I went to sleep again" (34-35).

"Young bahss, d'wind 'as shift. You'll be warmer on dis side" (44).

"The raft plunged on through light swells throughout the long night" (44).

Day 2:

"I woke up when there was a pale band of light to the east..." (45).

"What time is it, I asked? Bout ten. At Night?... Tis day." (46).

Location:

"I do think we are not too far from Providencia an' San Andres" (45).

Weather:

"We ate in silence as their light crept steadily over the smooth, oily sea. The wind had died and already the sun was beginning to scorch" (45).

"... the breeze that came across the raft was warm" (46).

Day 3:

"I guess it was about noon on the third day aboard the raft that Timothy said tensely, I hear a motah" (49).

Location:

"We are edgin' into d'aircraft track, sam as de' ship day run" (50)

"Dis booby I saw was a blue face, mebbe nesting' out o' Seranilla Bank, mebbe not" (52).

Weather:

"I knew Timothy was constantly scanning the sea. I was so calm now that the raft didn't seem to be drifting" (51).

"What's in the sky, Timothy? In d'sky?... No clouds young bahss, jus blue like 'twas yestiddy"(52).

Day 4:

"in the early morning, I heard Timothy shout, I see an islan, true" (55).

"It seemed like hours but it was probably only one until Timothy said, Do not be alarm now, young bahss. I am going to jump into d'wattah an' kick dis raft to d' shore. Witout dat, we'll pass d' islan, by n by" (59).

Location:

"Biden' d' night I saw surf washing' white ovah banks off to port... But knew we be getting, near d' cays" (58).

"Where are we, Timothy? Near Panama? He answered slowly, I can not be sure, young bahss. Not veree sure. But you said you knew about the banks and the cays that are near the banks... Timothy said, Lissen, I know dat many banks an'cays are roun' fifteen north and eighty long. Dere is Roncador an' Serranno; Quit sueno an' Serranilla an' Rosalind; den dere is Beacon an' North Cay. Off to d'Wes, somewhere, is Providencia an' San Andres…Far 'way up dere, I tink is d' Caymans, and Jamaica" (61).

"Young bahss, dere is, in dis part of d' sea, a few lil' cays like dis one, surrounded on bot'sides by hombug banks. Day are cut off from d'res o' d'sea by dese banks…D'place I am tinking of is call Debil's Mout'. Tis a U-shaped ting, wit dease sharp coral bamnks on either side, runnin' maybe forty, fifty mile…" (64).

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