Despite his father's opposition, Simon "Spacey" Drake is determined to become a long-distance sailor, so he signs up for a week-long live-aboard sailing course.
The trip gets off to a rough start, but the real trouble begins when Simon and Olivia, another student, get curious about a nearby cabin cruiser in an anchorage. They investigate and stumble upon an abalone poaching operation, but the poachers have far too much at stake to let a couple of kids get in their way. Simon has always believed that the only person you can count on is yourself, but when he and Olivia find their lives in danger, he knows they will have to work with the rest of the crew if they are to survive.
This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!
A few years ago, Robin Stevenson bought a thirty-foot sailboat called Tara, fixed it up and left Lake Ontario with a plan to sail to the Bahamas. Despite knowing very little about sailing, she arrived safely in the islands a few months later. She spent a year living aboard her sailboat and is now ashore in Victoria, British Columbia. Robin is the author of several books for children and young adults.
"Any teen interested in sailing will love this book, but it will prove to be especially popular with those struggling readers who are learning about how reading can be exciting and absorbing."
"Stevenson delivers a fast-paced nautical adventure filled with intricate sailing maneuvers and realistic depictions of stormy seas."
"A solid story about a crucial environmental issue."