This wasn't a relaxing cruise anymore; it was a test. The bow plunged, sending spray over the windshield. Elias watched the depth sounder closely, navigating away from the shallow, chaotic waters of a nearby reef. The sky turned a bruised purple in the west.

Crossing Lake Michigan on a 45-foot Bayliner motor yacht - Facebook

By 10:00 AM, the ocean opened up. The sun chased away the last of the haze, turning the water into a vast sheet of blue glitter. "It’s too smooth," Sara remarked, sipping coffee on the aft deck, watching the coast slide by.

The first few hours were magic. The crew, consisting of his oldest friend Sara and her teenager Leo, was quiet, respecting the early hour. They passed tiny fishing boats anchored in secluded coves, their captains already working on nets. Elias navigated carefully, adhering to the 3 R's of boating he knew by heart: the channel markers, React to the shifting winds, and Recover a steady course.

He maintained a slow, deliberate pace, relying on the boat’s sturdy nature.