The Tall Ship

By Rayford Hammond

Lieutenant Josh Randolph finds himself volunteered as one of twelve U.S. Naval officers assigned liaison duty aboard visiting foreign sailing vessels known as tall ships, which are arriving in New York to participate in the bicentennial celebrations as part of Operation Sail 1976. This gala, scheduled to take place over the three-day period of July 2-4, includes a pass-in-review led by the U.S. Navy cruiser, USS Wainwright, President Gerald Ford's flagship for the occasion. During this review, the ships are to sail out of New York harbor and then parade back up the Hudson, returning to their anchorages for the remainder of the celebrations.The lieutenants' mission is to assist their assigned ship as it navigates into New York harbor, and then to remain on board during the ship's three-day visit. During their time on board these magnificent sailing ships, the lieutenants are to ensure that all arrangements, ranging from the captain's social schedule to the proper disposal of trash and garbage, are carried out in "an organized manner consistent with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service." Lieutenant Randolph has drawn the Cuban tall ship Veracruz as his assignment. Already having heard sinister rumors about the ship, he feels quite inadequate for this assignment. He has never been to New York, he does not speak Spanish, and he has never been aboard a sailing vessel any larger than a sunfish. From the moment he reports aboard the strange vessel, the lieutenant begins to experience feelings of foreboding. As events rapidly unfold, he is caught up in a whirlwind of dangerous activities. Within hours of reporting to the ship, he learns that the handsome, personable captain, as well as the hostile first mate, are both hiding something, in which he soon realizes he must become involved. The lieutenant soon discovers clues leading him to suspect that the ship's antagonistic first mate, with whom Lieutenant Randolph has been assigned to berth, is up to something so terrible as to be almost beyond the lieutenant's ability to imagine. The captain, in the meantime, has asked Josh to do something that he knows could get him kicked out of the navy, as a minimum...possibly even court martialed. Several additional difficulties continue to mount, both personal and professional, until the lieutenant finds himself struggling for his own survival, as he must deal with a sequence of potentially catastrophic situations.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1461144108
• ISBN13: 9781461144106
• Release Date: May 2011
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.82 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.6" x 5.5"