Under a storm jib and a lowering sky, you and Terry stand on a shuddering deck and regard the hole where a chainplate used to be. "The Elliotts are going to be furious," you say. Jerry and Jennifer Elliott own the Celeste, the yacht you and Terry are sailing back to Auckland. Terry grunts. "The Elliotts are lucky we didn't lose the whole shootin' match," he says, eyes sweeping over the mast and rigging, then out

once again to the storm­dark horizon. You follow his gaze and see what he sees: a smudge of color ­ a boat.

Terry steps below and emerges with binoculars. "A yacht," he says. A moment passes. "A racing yacht. Wow. Got some storm damage." He studies the speck a moment more, then steps over to the windlass and begins to take in the jib. You move to assist. "What's going on?" you ask. "That boat is the Galapagos Canary NWF," Terry tells you. "You heard of the New Magellan Challenge? The around­the­world yacht race?" "It was on the radio," you say. "The fleet was going to pass south of us in a day or two." "Looks like Canary's out ahead." Terry says. "Way north of the others. And for some reason it's set course to intercept us."

While you anchor the loose stay to another chainplate, Terry watches theGalapagos Canary NWF approach. "She's really cracking on," he says, peering through the binoculars. "My stars, what a beautiful boat. And the skipper's got her trim as Mary. What a bow wave she's throwing! "Say, where is everybody? I count only two people on deck." He turns suddenly and disappears below, and in a moment you hear the squawk of the radio. You finish tightening the loose stay and then set to work sealing the hole. Terry bounds back up on deck. "Awright, here's the story," he says, training the binoculars again on theCanary, now hull­up and gaining fast. "I got through on the radio. Race Control relieved to hear we found her, she hasn't been heard from for 38 hours. She had a crew of six when the fleet left Buenos Aires. And yeah, at this point she's leading the race. The other teams went south to avoid the storm; looks like she plunged right on through. "Right, now, let that be," he says, looking at the half­patched hole. "Got to put some sail on. We don't want to slow down the race leader any more than we have to, do we?"

You and Terry put out as much sail as you dare. He adjusts the boat's autopilot. Spray is flying off the bow and water hissing along the rail when theGalapagos Canary NWF slides neatly under your lee. A woman in bright yellow storm gear moves up to the rail. "That's the skipper," Terry says. "Jacqueline Serin. Yellow Jackie ­ she's a legend!" "Ahoy the Celeste." Her voice booms out over the wind. "Fine day, is it not?"

Terry, as usual, gets right to the point. "I radioed Race Central," he shouts back. "Noticed your radio mast was gone. You're in the lead, by the way." "Right," Jackie says. "Thank you. I have troubles," she goes on. "Three of my crew are sick. It may be serious, I do not know." She looks off west to an empty horizon. "Unless I find out, we will have to give up the race." "I can help," you find yourself saying. "Let me come aboard." Terry is staring at you. "Oh no no no," Jackie protests. She points up to a yellow flag snapping atop her mast. "The disease ­ it may be contagious. I do not think you want to come on board."

"I will describe to you what has happened," Jackie continues. "Maybe you can get help on the radio?" "Sure. Go on," Terry shouts back. "It is like the grippe, that is to say, the flu, but maybe a little bit worse? Fever, chills and malaise. First Alistair, then Kerry and Tomas. I worry about Alistair, he coughs and there is blood." "Oh my stars," Terry says under his breath. "Brendan was also sick, some days after we left Buenos Aires. But he is fine now." "Maybe," Terry murmurs again. But to Jackie he shouts, "Okay. Keep going." Jackie pauses, then shakes her head. She shouts to Terry, "No no no. I think your companion has something to say?" ­ looking at you. What do you say? 1 "We need the details: when did each person fall sick? Are their symptoms different in any way?" 2 "Look, this is silly. Let me come aboard and examine the sick people myself."

1

"Wait, let me get pen and paper," Terry says. For the next ten minutes, as Jackie shouts out information over the rushing wind, he takes notes. Then you and Terry go into the cabin, and sit down at the radio with the notepad. "Okay," he says. "Let's review. TheCanary left Buenos Aires about ten days ago, fully stocked with fresh water and food." "And everyone seemed well at that time," you say. "But Brendan, the helmsman, fell ill at the end of the second day," Terry reads. "He says he suddenly got the chills and muscle aches. "Jackie says his fever was 39 Celsius." He does some math in his head. "That's 102­103 Fahrenheit." "He was sick until day 7," you say. "But he got better and says he feels fine now." "Kerry got sick on day 6," Terry goes on, "and so did Alistair, although he didn't report it at first. Kerry said it hit her like a freight train, with chills, fever, runny nose, muscle ache and headache. Her temperature was 40 Celsius ­ that's 104 Fahrenheit. Alistair said he first got the feeling he was coming down with something..." "...and then over the next days he just started feeling worse and worse. Fever, chills, muscle ache, and then, beginning on day 8, his cough."

"And then, on Day 9, Tomas fell ill." Terry looks at the notes. "Yesterday. Right in the middle of the storm." "Jackie found him on deck, looking dazed and confused," you remember. "He was pale and shaking with cold, but no fever. So she took him below and put him in his bunk, and gave him plenty of fluids to drink, just like all the others." "And he says he feels pretty good today," Terry says, doubtfully. "Okay, that's all the facts we know. Switch on the radio. Let's see if we can raise a doctor."

"Did you hear something?" Terry asks. You've been on the radio for half an hour, asking for medical advice, but no luck. "Just static," you say. He twiddles some knobs, and then a voice comes in so clearly you both jump. "Celeste, Celeste, Rani Royal. Come in,Celeste." "The Rani Royal," Terry cackles. "A cruise ship!"

"Rani Royal, Rani Royal, this is Terry Holt on the Celeste. We're requesting urgent medical advice." "What's your position, Celeste?" After they exchange course and speed information, another voice comes on. "Terry, this is Dr. Caulkin, ship's physician," a voice says. "What seems to be the trouble?" Briefly Terry describes the situation. "Tell me what you know, patient by patient," Dr. Caulkin instructs. "From beginning to end." Terry runs down the notes about Brendan. There is a pause. "All right. Next patient?"

Terry now runs down the notes for Kerry. The pause is longer, and now the voice is icy. "Hmpf. Celeste, sounds like you've interrupted my busy day for two cases of flu. Have you looked at the weather? Do you have any idea how many thousand seasick pills I must prescribe today?" "Two more patients," Terry responds angrily. "One ­ sounds like shock. The other's got a nasty cough." "Oh?" The doctor sounds intrigued. "Wol buggut zil dul shrak mumbum." Terry turns a knob on the radio ever so gently."Rani Royal, Rani Royal," he says. "Dr. Caulkin! I'm losing your signal."

"I repeat," the doctor says, "tell me about the shock victim." The signal is growing faint. Shouting into the microphone, Terry describes what happened to Tomas. "Are these people drinking enough water?" the doctor responds. "Sounds like dehydration, maybe caused by overwork, maybe by fever. "Now, about the patient widaa kog." Terry cranes his head close to the speaker as the radio signal begins to break up. "Duh dis potentilly worry sirius. Duh dins du grrrer newmonia unn tuber rocus... sssduh kog rodukeff? Arduh sines of baktero infesssion? Effsho, amin ster robotics sassoon assssh poshble..." The voice fades into the static. "Did you understand a word of that?" Terry asks. "I sure didn't." And then a cry goes up outside.

"Monster! Monster!" Jackie and Brendan are shouting urgently, pointing dead ahead. Then Brendan spins the wheel and the Galapagos Canary NWF falls off sharply to leeward. Then right ahead, you see it ­ the huge dark ridged back of something aswim in the water. "Monster!" Terry spits, and leaps past you to the helm. He struggles to disengage the autopilot.

"Hold on!" he shouts, and you do. With a crackling roar, the Celeste plows straight into the head of the submerged thing.

You and everything else on the Celeste are slammed forward, and for a few moments all is confusion and noise. "Let the jib go!" Terry yells, and you cast off the jib sheets as he turns to the mainsail boom. In a moment both sails are flapping madly in the wind. You glance down the companionway into the cabin. It is already half­full with water. "She's had it," Terry says. You go aft and yank a cord, setting free the Celeste's survival raft. When you turn around, Terry's disappeared below. The stern goes thud and the Celeste shudders. Turning again, you see the "monster" slip away astern ­ a dark metalshipping container, riding low in the water.

Today's sea cargo often travels in shipping containers ­ metal boxes that are typically 20' (or 40') long by 8' wide by 8.5' high. Stacked high on the decks of cargo ships, it's not uncommon for the containers to come loose in a gale, and containers that float pose a hazard to navigation.

"Careful!" you hear Jackie call to Brendan, and you turn to see theCanary beating to windward, straight toward you and the stricken Celeste. "The rigging!" she cautions. "Do not foul the rigging," and you rush to secure the lines whipping about in the wind. The Canary draws near as waves start to crash over the deck of the Celeste. Jackie stands ready on the bow with a pole in her hands. "Terry," you shout into the cabin. "Leave it! Let's go!" There is no answer. Then Terry, soaked to the skin, bursts up the companionway, one arm clutching some items to his chest. The Canary's bow looms close and Jackie extends her pole. "Hurry!" Terry's free hand grabs the pole and with a leap, he's aboard the Canary. Jackie extends the

pole again, you grab it, and with iron strength she pulls you over the widening gap to safety.

"I have to confess, I never much liked that boat," Terry says. You are all staring at where the Celeste used to be. "The Elliotts are going to be furious," you say. "Nah," Terry says. "Truth is, they never much liked it either. So here we are," rubbing his hands together, "on the plague ship after all."

"Yes," Jackie says. "So. Did you find out anything? On the radio. Did you talk to a doctor?"

"What? Oh, yeah." Terry runs a hand over his face. "Got a great connection with the esteemed ship's physician on board the Rani Royal, a cruise ship about two hundred miles north of here." "And?" Jackie's face is expressionless. "And he thinks the flu is rampaging through your boat. A little annoyed that we bothered him, actually." "The flu?" Jackie furrows her brows. "Did you tell him about Tomas? And Alistair?" "Actually, no. We were, uh, interrupted," Terry says, and turns away from the rail.

"You're cold," Jackie says to Terry. "And you are bleeding." "It's nothing," Terry shrugs. But he lets you and Jackie lead him below and seat him in the saloon. There is a gash on his left arm. Jackie bandages it expertly as you make tea. Then, steaming mugs in hand, you sit around the table as Terry pulls out one of the things he recovered from the Celeste

­ a map.

"So," he says. "We are approximately here." He puts a neat X on a remarkably empty piece of ocean. "And the Rani Royal is approximately here." He draws a neat O about 6 inches to the north. "How fast are we going?" Jackie takes a moment to listen to the water hissing outside the hull. "About 16 knots," she says. Terry draws an arrow pointing west from the X. "The Rani Royal is heading for Valparaiso," Terry says. "At about 20 knots." He draws an arrow from the O off to the east, then sits back, proud of his chart. "So." Jackie sighs. "I need to make a decision, right away. Do I go this way" ­ drawing a line west, to Auckland. "Or do I go this way?" ­ drawing a line to the north­northeast, to intercept the Rani Royal. "What I am really asking," she goes on, "is this: are any of my crew seriously ill, or not? If it is unlikely that they are, we continue the race. If it is likely that they are, or if we do not know, we head for the doctor on the Rani Royal as fast as we can go." "And your race is over," Terry says. She nods.

Terry pulls out the other thing he rescued from the Celeste: a book entitled Medicine for the Deep Sea Sailor. He hands it to you. "Okay," he says. "The symptoms we've seen are these, right?" "Brendan: sudden onset of fever and chills. Sick for about five days, then he seems to have recovered completely. "Kerry: sudden onset of fever, chills and muscle ache. Sick for about four days now. "Alistair: slow onset of malaise, fever, and now a productive cough. "Tomas: sudden onset of shock, with mental confusion.

"All the patients were confined to bed and given plenty of food and fluids."

Ten minutes later, you have a list of ailments that might explain the symptoms. Do you want to read what the book says about each one? Bronchitis, Dehydration, Influenza, Pneumonia, Tuberculosis Do you want to talk to the patients? Brendan, Kerry, Alistair, Tomas When you are finished, Jackie says, "Time is up. I must make a decision, now!" "Okay," you say. "I think I can help."

You and Terry find Brendan up on deck. He's putting a dipstick back into its well. "Problem?" "No, no," he says. "Quite the opposite. Our water tank has more water in it than I expected." "A lot more?" "Well, about 6 gallons ­ 84 gallons gone instead of 90. Usually our consumption is pretty steady, at about one­and­a­half gallons per person per day. We only drink out of this tank, you see, and wash dishes. We have another tank that feeds the shower. Now, what did you come to see me about?" At your request, he recounts the medical history of his illness: "I fell ill at the end of the second day; it was very sudden. I had chills, muscle aches, a fever, very much like the flu. Jackie says my fever was 39.5 Celsius. I was sick for about five days, but I feel fine now."

"What do you think you had?" Terry asks. "I think I had the flu."

Kerry is resting once again in her bunk. She looks feverish. "Whoa," she says. "I thought maybe I was well enough to stand watch later on, but now, no way. Brendan was right ­ he told me to stay in bed."

"Hey," Terry says. "Feel that cold breeze? Is that blowing on you?" Kerry shrugs. "We always keep all the vents wide open," she says. "I love the fresh sea air." "Tell us about your illness," Terry says gently. "It hit me on Day 6, " she begins. "Came on real sudden. Chills, fever, a runny nose, muscle ache, headache, the works. Fever of 40 Celsius ­ what is that, 104 Fahrenheit? I felt awful. I guess I still do. Maybe even worse, since I got up for a little while." "Any guesses as to what you have?"

"My guess is, we all have the same thing," Kerry says. "Whatever it is. I have it in the muscles, Alistair has it in the lungs ­ you see what I mean? I just hope it's nothing serious. I really really want to keep going in this race."

Jackie joins you and Terry at Alistair's bunk. "So tell me, Alistair," you say. "When did all this start?" "I actually felt a little poorly on day 5, and a little more poorly day by day since then."

"Were you pushing yourself hard then?" "No, not at all. Things were going smoothly on the boat ­ this is before we reached the heavy weather." "What are your symptoms?" "First I was feeling poorly ­ you know, fatigued. Then on came the fever and chills! They comes and goes. Let's see, my muscles ache... And now I've had this cough, for about two days. It brings up this ooze and sometimes a little blood in it. "But I have to tell ya, ma'am," he says, turning to Jackie. "Since I've been drinking

plenty of water, like you told me, I think I've been getting better and better. I sure wouldn't scrub the race on my account, begging your pardon, of course."

You and Terry find Tomas preparing to take a mist shower in the Canary's cramped little shower room.

"This is disgusting," he says. He has taken off the shower head, and it's filled with what looks like algae. He distastefully scoops it clean with his finger. "Just want to ask you a question or two about your illness," you say. "I am not an ill person," he says. "I am just treated like one." "Tell us what happened to you, then," Terry replies. "Jackie says she found you up on deck, in a state of shock ­ when was it? Yesterday?" Tomas glares at him. "We have been pushing the boat very hard. I have been pushing myself very hard. But now I am better. That is all there is to it."

"Okay," you say. "Kerry is suffering from..." (pick one) Bronchitis ­ serious Bronchitis ­ not serious Dehydration ­ serious Dehydration ­ not serious Influenza ­ serious Influenza ­ not serious Pneumonia ­ serious Pneumonia ­ not serious Tuberculosis ­ serious Tuberculosis ­ not serious "And Alistair is suffering from..." (pick one) Bronchitis ­ serious Bronchitis ­ not serious Dehydration ­ serious Dehydration ­ not serious Influenza ­ serious Influenza ­ not serious Pneumonia ­ serious Pneumonia ­ not serious Tuberculosis ­ serious Tuberculosis ­ not serious

"Tomas is suffering from..." (pick one) Bronchitis ­ serious Bronchitis ­ not serious Dehydration ­ serious Dehydration ­ not serious Influenza ­ serious Influenza ­ not serious Pneumonia ­ serious Pneumonia ­ not serious Tuberculosis ­ serious Tuberculosis ­ not serious "And therefore I think you should..." (pick one) "...continue the race, because none of the diseases are serious." "...sail to the cruise ship, because at least one of the diseases is serious."

2

"Hold on," Terry shouts to Jackie, then turns to you. "Look," he says. "Didn't you hear her? "There's a guy over there who's coughing blood. You never heard of tuberculosis? TB? It's the second leading cause of death in the world. Has been for some time." You've never seen him so worked up. "And there are strains of TB that are resistant to antibiotics." He pauses. "Look," he says again. "You can go if you must. We both know I'm fine running theCeleste on my own. But if you go on board that boat, you're not coming back to theCeleste, and that's final." "Sorry, Terry, but I'm going to go check this out. Maybe I can help Jackie out. Thanks for a great trip."

Ten minutes later, you are on board theGalapagos Canary NWF. Jackie introduces you to Brendan, the helmsman. You turn and wave at Terry, who is standing by with the radio on board theCeleste. He doesn't wave back. You take out your notepad. "Tell me everything," you say to Jackie. "From the beginning." "Okay," she says, thinking back. "We left Buenos Aires ten days ago, fully stocked with fresh water and food." "And everyone seemed well at that time?" "Oh, oui. But Brendan, he fell ill at the end of the second day."

Brendan nods, soberly. "It was very sudden. Chills, muscle aches ­ you know, like the flu." "His fever was 39.5 Celsius ­ 103 Fahrenheit," Jackie remembers. "We made him stay in the bunk." "How long were you sick, Brendan?" you ask. "Until day 7?" He looks at Jackie. She nods. "But I am feeling fine now." "What happened next?" you ask, as Jackie hustles you down into the racing yacht's cabin.

"Then Kerry fell ill." Jackie brings you to a bunk and introduces you to Kerry, team leader on the dark watch. "That was on Day 6, no?" "Actually, Jackie, I'm feeling much better," Kerry says. An athletic­looking woman in her early twenties, right now she looks pale and wan. "I think I can stand watch with Jan tonight, if I take it easy."

Jackie places her hand behind Kerry's left ear, then smiles. "You are such a liar," she says. "You still have a high fever." She turns to you. "They are all like this. I must struggle to keep them in the bed." She shrugs. "Of course, I myself am exactly the same way, when I am sick." "Tell me how you got sick," you say to Kerry. "It hit me like a freight train," Kerry says. "Chills, fever, a runny nose, muscle ache, headache, the works. Fever of 104 Fahrenheit. I felt awful." She grimaces. "But honest, Jackie, I do feel a little bit better today."

"Now this is Alistair," Jackie says. The older man in the bunk puts on a welcoming grin. "You started feeling poorly about day 8, did you not, Alistair?" The grin turns sheepish. "Well, to tell the truth, I actually felt a little poorly on day 5, and a little more poorly day by day since then." "What are your symptoms?" "First I was feeling poorly, and then there was the fever and chills, right? Comes and goes. And muscle ache. And now I've got this cough, see?" "Had it for about two days, right, Alistair?" "Yes, ma'am. It's what they call a productive cough. I brings up this yellow­green ooze and

sometimes a wee bit of blood."

"And this is Tomas," Jackie says. "How are you doing, Tomas?" "I tell you, Captain, I have rested long enough." The young man's eyes smolder. "I have eaten my soup and drunk those foul juices and now I would like to get back to the business of sailing this boat very fast, eh?" "Tomas fell ill on Day 9." Jackie says, ignoring his outburst. "Yesterday. Right in the middle of the storm." Tomas says nothing. Jackie goes on, "I found him huddled up on deck, looking, ah, confused," she remembers. "In shock. He was pale and shaking with cold. I thought at first he had been hit on the head." "I was not hit on the head," Tomas says. He is still angry. "No, no, I found no lumps on his head. But I took him below and put him here in the bunk. I was getting used to this by now, no? And I gave him plenty of fluids to drink, just like all the others."

"And I drank them, no matter how foul they tasted, I drank them all," Tomas sulks. "And he says he feels much better today," Jackie concludes. "And maybe he does. But I am watching him this one more day." She looks at you expectantly. "So now what do we do?" You look down at your notes. "Let me tell Terry what I have learned," you say. "And then maybe he can get a doctor on the radio."

Back up in the cockpit, Brendan expertly pilots the Canary close to theCeleste, and you and Jackie take turns shouting the information to Terry. The wind has turned shrill and cold, tearing the tops off the waves. At last, Terry takes the information and goes below to the radio. Minutes drag by. "Now we wait," Jackie says, and smiles. "But I know

the outcome already. The doctor will say he is not sure, there may be trouble. And so to be safe we will have to give up the race." Then she stands bolt upright in the cockpit. "Brendan! Fall off! Monster, monster, monster!"

"Monster!?" you say, incredulously. "Flotsam!" she says, and points. Dead ahead, a long ridged back rises briefly out of the waves. "Terry!" Brendan bellows. "Monster! Emergency! Terry!" Then, out of time, he spins the wheel. With a shudder of sail, the Galapagos Canary NWF falls nimbly off to leeward.

Over on the Celeste, Terry storms up on deck. Jackie and Brendan are both pointing dead ahead. After one glance he leaps to the tiller ­ but he's still struggling to disengage the autopilot when theCeleste plows full speed into the now­submerged monster.

With extraordinary speed the Canary whirls about. In only a moment, Tomas is on deck, then Kerry, then the last crew member, Jan, shaking off sleep. Yet by the time the Celeste hoves into view again, it is already noticeably lower in the water. "Terry!" you shout. He is nowhere in sight. Something astern of the boat catches your eye. The "monster" surfaces again, and now you see what it is ­ a dark metal shipping container. The Canary drives upwind, straight for the stricken Celeste . The crew scrambles to trim the sails. You unclip a boathook and scramble to the bow. No sign of life aboard the Celeste. "Terry!" you shout again.

And then there he is, thrashing his way up the flooded companionway into the cockpit, something cradled in one arm. You stand solid and extend the pole. As the Canary's bow looms near, Terry vaults to the deck, up on top of a railing stanchion, and then grasps your pole. With one big heave, you haul him aboard.

"I have to confess, I never much liked that boat," Terry says. You are all staring at where the Celeste used to be. "The Elliotts are going to be furious," you say. "Nah," Terry says. "Truth is, they never much liked it either."

"Kerry. Tomas. Jan. Get below," Jackie orders, and they go. "So, Terry," you say. "Did you find out anything? On the radio. Get hold of anyone?" "Oh, yeah," he says, running a hand over his face. "Got a great connection with the esteemed ship's physician on board theRani Royal, a cruise ship about two hundred miles from here." "And?" Jackie's face is expressionless. "And he thinks the flu is rampaging through your boat. A little annoyed that I bothered him, actually." "The flu?" Jackie furrows her brows. "Did you tell him about Tomas? And Alistair?" "Something about dehydration. But then we were, uh, interrupted," Terry says, and turns away from the rail.

"You're cold," Jackie says to Terry. "And you are bleeding." "It's nothing," Terry shrugs. But he lets you and Jackie lead him below and seat him in the saloon. There is a gash on his left arm. Jackie bandages it expertly as you make tea. Then, steaming mugs in hand, you sit around the table as Terry pulls out one of the things he recovered from the Celeste ­ a map.

"So," he says. "We are approximately here." He puts a neat X on a remarkably empty piece of ocean. "And the Rani Royal is approximately here." He draws a neat O about 6 inches to the north. "How fast are we going?" Jackie takes a moment to listen to the water hissing outside the hull. "About 16 knots," she says. Terry draws an arrow pointing west from the X. "The Rani Royal is heading for Valparaiso," Terry says. "At about 20 knots." He draws an arrow from the O off to the east, then sits back, proud of his chart. "So." Jackie sighs. "I need to make a decision, right away. Do I go this way" ­ drawing a line west, to Auckland. "Or do I go this way?" ­ drawing a line to the north­northeast, to intercept the Rani Royal. "What I am really asking," she goes on, "is this: are any of my crew seriously ill, or not? If it is unlikely that they are, we continue the race. If it is likely that they are, or if we do not know, we head for the doctor on the Rani Royal as fast as we can go." "And your race is over," Terry says. She nods.

Terry pulls out the other thing he rescued from the Celeste: a book entitled Medicine for the Deep Sea Sailor. He hands it to you. "Okay," he says. "The symptoms we've seen are these, right?" "Brendan: sudden onset of fever and chills. Sick for about five days, then he seems to have recovered completely. "Kerry: sudden onset of fever, chills and muscle ache. Sick for about four days now. "Alistair: slow onset of malaise, fever, and now a productive cough. "Tomas: sudden onset of shock, with mental confusion. "All the patients were confined to bed and given plenty of food and fluids."

Ten minutes later, you have a list of ailments that might explain the symptoms. Do you want to read what the book says about each one? Bronchitis, Dehydration, Influenza, Pneumonia, Tuberculosis Do you want to talk to the patients? Brendan, Kerry, Alistair, Tomas When you are finished, Jackie says, "Time is up. I must make a decision, now!" "Okay," you say. "I think I can help."

You and Terry find Brendan up on deck. He's putting a dipstick back into its well. "Problem?" "No, no," he says. "Quite the opposite. Our water tank has more water in it than I expected." "A lot more?" "Well, about 6 gallons ­ 84 gallons gone instead of 90. Usually our consumption is pretty steady, at about one­and­a­half gallons per person per day. We only drink out of this tank, you see, and wash dishes. We have another tank that feeds the shower. Now, what did you come to see me about?" At your request, he recounts the medical history of his illness: "I fell ill at the end of the second day; it was very sudden. I had chills, muscle aches, a fever, very much like the flu. Jackie says my fever was 39.5 Celsius. I was sick for about five days, but I feel fine now."

"What do you think you had?" Terry asks. "I think I had the flu."

Kerry is resting once again in her bunk. She looks feverish. "Whoa," she says. "I thought maybe I was well enough to stand watch later on, but now, no way. Brendan was right ­ he told me to stay in bed." "Hey," Terry says. "Feel that cold breeze? Is that blowing on you?" Kerry shrugs. "We always keep all the vents wide open," she says. "I love the fresh sea air." "Tell us about your illness," Terry says gently. "It hit me on Day 6, " she begins. "Came on real sudden. Chills, fever, a runny nose, muscle ache, headache, the works. Fever of 40 Celsius ­ what is that, 104 Fahrenheit? I felt awful. I guess I still

do. Maybe even worse, since I got up for a little while." "Any guesses as to what you have?" "My guess is, we all have the same thing," Kerry says. "Whatever it is. I have it in the muscles, Alistair has it in the lungs ­ you see what I mean? I just hope it's nothing serious. I really really want to keep going in this race."

Jackie joins you and Terry at Alistair's bunk. "So tell me, Alistair," you say. "When did all this start?" "I actually felt a little poorly on day 5, and a little more poorly day by day since then."

"Were you pushing yourself hard then?" "No, not at all. Things were going smoothly on the boat ­ this is before we reached the heavy weather." "What are your symptoms?"

"First I was feeling poorly ­ you know, fatigued. Then on came the fever and chills! They comes and goes. Let's see, my muscles ache... And now I've had this cough, for about two days. It brings up this ooze and sometimes a little blood in it. "But I have to tell ya, ma'am," he says, turning to Jackie. "Since I've been drinking plenty of water, like you told me, I think I've been getting better and better. I sure wouldn't scrub the race on my account, begging your pardon, of course."

You and Terry find Tomas preparing to take a mist shower in the Canary's cramped little shower room.

"This is disgusting," he says. He has taken off the shower head, and it's filled with what looks like algae. He distastefully scoops it clean with his finger. "Just want to ask you a question or two about your illness," you say. "I am not an ill person," he says. "I am just treated like one." "Tell us what happened to you, then," Terry replies. "Jackie says she found you up on deck, in a state of shock ­ when was it? Yesterday?" Tomas glares at him. "We have been pushing the boat very hard. I have been pushing myself very hard. But now I am better. That is all there is to it."

"Okay," you say. "Kerry is suffering from..." (pick one) Bronchitis ­ serious Bronchitis ­ not serious Dehydration ­ serious Dehydration ­ not serious Influenza ­ serious Influenza ­ not serious Pneumonia ­ serious Pneumonia ­ not serious Tuberculosis ­ serious Tuberculosis ­ not serious "And Alistair is suffering from..." (pick one) Bronchitis ­ serious Bronchitis ­ not serious Dehydration ­ serious Dehydration ­ not serious Influenza ­ serious Influenza ­ not serious Pneumonia ­ serious Pneumonia ­ not serious Tuberculosis ­ serious Tuberculosis ­ not serious "Tomas is suffering from..." (pick one) Bronchitis ­ serious Bronchitis ­ not serious Dehydration ­ serious Dehydration ­ not serious Influenza ­ serious Influenza ­ not serious Pneumonia ­ serious Pneumonia ­ not serious Tuberculosis ­ serious Tuberculosis ­ not serious "And therefore I think you should..." (pick one) "...continue the race, because none of the diseases are serious." "...sail to the cruise ship, because at least one of the diseases is serious."

Bronchitis is a condition of the lungs characterized by excess mucus, which is brought up as sputum by a persistent cough. Bronchitis can be acute (caused by a viral infection) or chronic (usually caused by an environmental irritant, such as cigarette smoke). With acute bronchitis, you begin to show symptoms one to four days after exposure to the causative virus; with chronic bronchitis, you usually show symptoms soon after exposure to the irritant. A severe case of bronchitis can lower the oxygen level in the blood, leading to dizziness and confusion. Watch for wheezing and other signals of mild respiratory distress. Bottom line for deep sea sailors: not serious. Stay the course, stop smoking, and get medical attention in port.

Dehydration is a lack of water in the body's tissues, upsetting the balance of electrolytes in the blood. Mild dehydration is relatively common and not serious, but severe or chronic dehydration can be a life­threatening problem. Lack of water can damage the kidneys, for example. Symptoms of mild dehydration are increased thirst and dry mouth ­ symptoms common with many other ailments. The skin may wrinkle due to the lack of water. As dehydration gets more severe, blood pressure decreases, episodes of confusion or coma may occur, and urination may be infrequent or not occur at all. Dehydration can result from diarrhea, excessive sweating, or simply by ignoring thirst and not drinking sufficient water (especially when coupled with hard or prolonged exertion or exposure to the elements). Bottom line for sailors: dehydration can be serious, but you can treat it yourself. If you're thirsty, drink! Especially during a blow, watch your fluid intake.

Influenza or ëthe flu' is a common viral infection of the respiratory tract. People spread the influenza virus easily. Symptoms usually show from one to three days after exposure. Fever, chills, fatigue, runny nose, headache and muscle pain are the classic symptoms of flu, caused as the body fights the infection. Influenza vaccine is helpful, but each vaccination only protects against a few strains of the changeable influenza virus. Severe strains are known to exist ­ a pandemic in 1918 killed millions of people. Bottom line for deep sea sailors: Crawl into bed and ride it out. It's rarely serious, but expect to be debilitated for many days. And get your flu shot every year.

Pneumonia is not a specific disease, but a condition of inflamed lungs. It is most commonly associated with infection by the bacteriumStreptococcus pneumoniae, but viral, fungal and allergic forms exist. Symptoms vary with each type of pneumonia. Milder pneumonias have flu­like symptoms ­ a fever, chills, and a cough, which usually manifest three or four days after exposure. The bacterial pneumonias are usually more serious, with chest pain, sputum with blood, a high fever and even delirium. Respiration and pulse rates are elevated and may double. Streptococcal pneumonia is spread from person to person in airborne droplets; you can begin to show symptoms within hours of being infected. Another serious bacterial pneumonia, Legionnaire's disease, is typically spread by misting water which has been stagnating in hot water and air­conditioning systems. (The presence of algae can be an

indicator of stagnant water.) Pneumonia caused by Legionnaire's disease requires anywhere from two to ten days to manifest symptoms. Bottom line for deep sea sailors: Don't take chances. If you see signs of pneumonia, seek medical help immediately.

Tuberculosis ("TB") is a wasting disease of the lungs caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis.In earlier times it was known as consumption. P eople with an active case of the disease spray the bacterium into the air in tiny water droplets that can then be inhaled by others. Once in the lung, the body responds by confining the bacterium in granules, called tubercles. The person is infected, but shows no symptoms. If the body's immune system grows weaker (as a result of another infection, stress, exertion, etc.) the bacterium can break out of the tubercles and spread. The body now responds by killing bacteria and surrounding cells. Symptoms now appear: fever, night sweats, lack of appetite, followed by chest pain and a productive cough. In time, the sputum turns bloody. TB is very widespread; it is estimated that about a third of the world's population is infected with it. Eight million people get active TB every year, and two million die from TB­related illness. It is probably the second­largest single cause of human death today. Bottom line for the deep sea sailor: To prevent TB, make sure your boat (and the places you stay when ashore) has adequate ventilation. If you detect signs of infection, seek medical help immediately.