The Guinevere was wrecked.
For the next three days, death was with us constantly, never more than a wave away. A freighter passed near us. It seemed to come our way, then passed on. Our radio went dead. 
But we fought back. With canvas and broken planks, we patched holes. We bailed and steered.
One afternoon a plane passed over, low enough for us to read USCG on the wings. We waved and shouted, but the aircraft was visible for only a few seconds. We doubted that we had been seen.
We fought on through day and night, no longer aware of our bruises, the cold and the wet. We no longer heard the endless howling of the storm. We were beyond exhaustion, beyond thought.
On Friday, the wind dropped back to a gale. I got a sight of the sun and worked out a position line. We were about 240 miles off the coast. Then...
Heather saw it first. It was a tanker, half a mile away. We heard Heather's sob of relief and looked. We could see the name on the bow: Esso Greenville.
"They see us!" Duke cried.
We had thought our lives were over. But now we were being offered another chance.
The tanker came toward us slowly. Her crew was waving from the rail. They threw us a line. I made it fast to the strongest post on the boat. But at the first tug the post pulled out. Guinevere's bones were broken. She smashed against the tanker.
From the bridge they saw what had happened. Men worked furiously to help us. Another line came snaking down. This one had a bosun's chair slung on it.
One of the officers shouted, "Get that woman off!"
"She's a sailor," Duke shouted back. "As good as any of us."
He pulled the chair over Heather's head. As the crew hauled her up, he held the line firmly so she would not swing against the ship's side. Then I held the line for Duke.
There was no one to do the same for me. My responsibility had driven me. Now it was over. I felt drained of will. As I hesitated, Guinevere gave her final roll. I caught at the bosun's chair. They dragged me up fast. I struck the side of the ship once. Then I was on solid deck.
With Heather and Duke I watched silently as Guinevere dived into a wave for the last time. The tanker's crew crowded around to offer their hands.
We had escaped death. And we had learned how simple, precious and frail life is. Each of us vowed not to waste a moment of our lives thereafter.