Both forty-something, Mari Anderson and Fritz Damler said no to a safe and scripted midlife and yes to saltwater, sand and the longest consecutive string of bad hair days ever recorded. With the ink barely dry on their marriage certificate, they rescued an old boat, loaded it with building supplies and pointed the bow toward a remote Bahamian island. What could easily have been a blueprint for disaster is instead a story of discovery, resilience and renewal. Plunge is told from both points of view (think Venus and Mars in Paradise) and sparkles with humor even as unexpected, sometimes...

All boats have spirits. This one has two, and they don't get along. The wooden sailboat Thelma was built in 1936. Her spirit, a frumpy matron in fuzzy slippers, bathrobe and curlers, is an expert in all things nautical. New owner, Matt Priest, plans to sail the world. Thelma fails to inspire his confidence, so he changes the boat's name to Theodora R. Theodora Regina, co-ruler of Rome in 400 A.D. with King Justinian, is a ruthless tyrant, also known as the Whore of Babylon. For reasons that soon become apparent both spirits must share the same hull. Thelma sees in her young captain the...