The “SPRIGHTLY LADY” and her Hurricane and Short Stories from Capt. Gardner M. Kelley Thelma a rich, “SPRIGHTLY LADY” with a nice yacht named for herself. She was very disappointed. She had been planning for a cruise to the Abaco’s, in the Bahamas before going north for the summer. She was looking at a picture of a body in a dingy, behind a sailing yacht. The body was not mentioned in the news. Probably was dumped overboard to save trouble for the officials, just another Bermuda Triangle mystery. The lady decided that she would have to put off going there, until she had some protection devises installed aboard. This would be done at City Island, New York Yacht Yard on the cruise north. She had no intentions of letting her world, her precious floating home be hi-jacked. The furthest we would go this winter would be Miami, Florida. The New River Yacht Yard is where the “SPRIGHTLY LADY” would soon be hauled out. This was for anti-fouling paint to be put on her bottom. She had a long cruise ahead. Thelma had spent much of her time at the lovely beach. It was not as nice as she remembered it from the past. The owner of the “SPRIGHTLY LADY” had enjoyed the winter months in Florida, the lavish parties aboard the yacht and her visits ashore to see her friends. Threats from the cold northerly winds were over for now. She sat with her husband Dennis and two other couples at Patricia Murphy’s elegant restaurant. She made the announcement, “We will be off for New York tomorrow.” Dennis protested, “I have a golf date tomorrow.” She said, “You have had enough golf for a while, now you can keep me company. The foliage along the banks is already changing, I am anxious to see it all.” Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont