Storm over the Black Sea - Ivan Aivazovsky Captain David Townsend watched as another wave swelled up before the HMS Diligence . The storm this afternoon was dangerous, though not altogether impossible to navigate. The captain's entire life had been spent training to sail through storms like this. A gale had forced him to cut the main sail. He would have to turn the Diligence toward the waves, but they would endure. D ifficult, but not impossible , he thought. The Diligence surfed a 40-foot wave. The captain laughed. Hell , he thought, this is fun . His ship caught speed. Her crew was capable, and Captain Townsend spared no effort in keeping the ship in mint condition. He was afraid, but no one else knew. Great captains before him had navigated storms just like this. Another wave crashed on the main deck, this one more jostling than those before. "Captain," a crew member yelled, "we've lost the foremast!" The captain, positioned at th
Thoughts of Dallin Nelson