Shipwreck Island Read Online Free PDF

After they unloaded, Marco stood at the dock, shaking his head at the vessel that floated in front of them. “That’s it?” The sailboat, if it could be called that, was about sixty feet long. The white paint was peeling off in spots, revealing bare wood underneath. The sails were nearly all furled, but the slim strip of material visible to Marco seemed dingy, not bright white like he had anticipated. The lines tying the sailboat to the mooring were so frayed they looked like a good yank would break them in half. A faded sign, a bit off-kilter, declared HMS MOONFLIGHT .
    He stepped closer to the boat and looked down into the water. On the hull, below the water line, was a brown film, with some seaweedy, grassy parts in spots. Marco wrinkled his nose. That couldn’t be good.
    â€œIs this thing safe?” Nacho was already paging through the “Boating Safety” chapter in his Eco-Scout manual. “Because it does not look all that safe to me.”
    Sarah let loose with a near growl. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” She dug around in her bag, and then brandished a shiny brochure. “That’s not the boat!”
    John took the brochure and looked at it, then back at the sailboat. “Actually…” He squinted at the sailboat. “Add a new coat of paint and some new sails, and … I think it is this boat.”
    Sarah grabbed the brochure back and glared at it. “How many decades ago was that picture even taken? This is such false advertising.” Turning her back to him, she crossed her arms, staring out at the harbor. “How could you not check it out before we got here?”
    Actually, Marco found himself wondering the same thing.
    A man with a shock of white hair on his head and a few days’ of gray, bristly beard on his face jumped off the Moonflight and onto the dock. Thin and muscular, he wore blue board shorts and a grungy white T-shirt with a small hole near the bottom hem. He took off his navy-blue captain’s hat and bowed his head slightly.
    â€œWelcome to Moonflight . I’m Captain Norm.”
    John held out his hand and shook. “Um, thanks. I’m not sure we’re in the right place.” He pointed at the brochure in Sarah’s hand. “We booked the luxury cruise?”
    Captain Norm grinned, revealing a couple of gold teeth. Quickly, he pivoted around and pointed at his back with the index fingers of both hands. Everyone read the words on the back of his T-shirt:

    Facing them again, he held both his arms out straight. “This is the place!”
    â€œOh man,” mumbled Marco. What were they getting into?
    Yvonna pulled on John’s arm. “Are you sure this is the cruise you booked? I expected something … nicer.”
    Sarah narrowed her eyes and spat out, “What, this boat isn’t good enough for you?” Then Sarah dragged her suitcase toward Moonflight .
    Nacho followed.
    John called out, “Hey, kids. I’m not so sure about this. Hold on a sec—”
    Captain Norm tilted his head at John. “Is there a problem?” His tone was slightly threatening.
    Angry at Sarah for making his mom seem like a diva when she most certainly wasn’t, Marco scowled as he watched his new stepfather retreat a bit.
    John said, “I’m not sure this is the kind of vessel we were planning on boarding.”
    Captain Norm crossed his arms and his thick, bushy eyebrows knotted together. “Something wrong with my boat?”
    John shook his head. “No, no, I didn’t mean anything like that.”
    Marco rolled his eyes. Of course John would back down. Distaste for his new stepfather swam in his head. Marco scoffed, “What, scared of a stupid boat?” And he picked up his duffel bag and headed for the sailboat.
    Yvonna and John exchanged a glance, a lengthy one loaded with exhaustion, desperation, and a tad bit of defeat. John sighed. “Fine. Let’s