Write a story about a voyage on a boat.

Posted in Adventure on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 43 stories

“Merchant Boat” by Alex Sultan

Submitted to Contest #108

Park counted fourteen bricks of cocaine on the merchant boat. Fourteen duct-taped, condensed packages, tucked beneath fishing nets at the bottom of shipping crates. He laughed under his breath, holding the nets up and counting the bricks out once more. Fourteen. Enough to land him ten years in prison. He propped open the hull's storage and stepped back. “Hey, Jin,” he called. “Do you think it’s too late to back out?”The boat swayed as Jin hopped on. Park stood aside and brought his hand up against the sunlight. He looked around the harb...

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“Pixie's Great Adventure” by Daniel R. Hayes

Submitted to Contest #108

An eerie wind blew through Spring Valley, delivering the smell of salt and dangerous trespassers. Pixie was gathering up a bundle of carrots when the putrid odor caught her attention. She wiggled her nostrils and flared her whiskers. Gone was the sweet aroma from the honeysuckle flowers that normally filled the air with lovely fragrances.Senses alert, Pixie carefully traced the vegetative terrain. She noticed the birds had ceased their chirping, and the bees were no longer buzzing. Strange voices echoed in the distance. There was no denying ...

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“The Sailor's Knot” by Jenna Fults

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #108

There was a time when men feared the sea. They feared its storm-tossed surface, mysteriously winking at them from under the moonlight, and they feared its frothing waves, whose white lips had swallowed countless fishing boats, stealing whatever lay within. The young sailor on his maiden voyage, more nervous than most aboard, had heard of fathers drowned, sons washed overboard. His mother had begged him not to go, but where money is scarce, as it often was in the village, there was little choice.With each swell, the reluctant ship pulled furt...

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“Sink or Swim” by John K Adams

Submitted to Contest #108

Jay and Ann made their way through the wharf-side bustle to the gang plank. A line of couples made their way past the white uniformed purser, checking documents. Ann looked around and then at the rings on her finger. “It’s so romantic. Isn’t it?” Jay hugged her as they waited their turn. “Just like in the movies. Only movies move.” Ann laughed. “You prefer an airport?” He looked over his glasses at her and said an emphatic, “No.” “They’ve been predicting teleporting since Star Trek first broadcast. Can you imagine? Text something into the ...

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“DING” by Noelle C. Lee

Submitted to Contest #108

That morning. You know, the one that finally comes after a restless night. Hitting a REM state is almost impossible when all that anticipation is running through your veins. All night I tossed but now that it’s the time, the right time to open my eyes, my lids are suddenly heavy and tired. I ask myself, why now when it’s the right time do I feel not ready? I was ready at 3:00am, 4:00am, 5:00am, and now at 6:00am, its finally time, yet now I want to sleep.I jump out of bed to see if anyone else is awake. Kids are sleeping soundly and Michael,...

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“The Selkies' Welcome” by Kate Zerrenner

Submitted to Contest #108

We left our home as the light flashed in the night sky. Green and gold like fingers of a flame against a sky as black as tar, the sea still and frigid as we pushed our boat from the shore. Most folk said the lights were the Bifrost, the bridge between Åsgard and Midgard, but I knew it was more than that; it was women’s work. It was the light reflecting off the shields of the Valkyrie, the women sent by Odin to the battlefields to choose who amongst the slain were worthy of a place in Valhalla. Battles raged everywhere since Harald Finehair c...

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“Voice of the Ocean” by Valorie Nichols-DeVita

Submitted to Contest #108

Voice of the Ocean The ship was much larger than she expected. Sirena stood there, pamphlet in hand, which displayed a sketch of a large wooden ship with the date, time and fees for passengers. “Going to the New World,” it said in bold letters....

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“Home” by Angela Kaufman

Submitted to Contest #108

The boy looked down over the splintered deck where his toes dangled and drew a deep breath. The long waves, in one slow-motion salute, lapped and clapped on the side of the boat and the boy suddenly felt very small. He braced his shoulders and looked south. All he had to do was jump. He felt a fresh gust of energy, strange for this late in the day, after a whole week’s work in the elements, with only a thin and worn hammock for rest. He felt his knees bend, his feet leave the ground and head-first he met the water. When an animal is face...

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“Tempest” by Tyler Hanson

Submitted to Contest #108

Waves break against the bow of Tempest, as the water riders control the ebb and flow of the sea, propelling the ship forward. Breaking through the last of the waves, the riders dismount from their pedestals. Before they can get below deck they can hear Captain Galan at the helm congratulating them, “Another well ridden storm!”. Each rider can’t help but smile at their Captain’s overwhelming positivity. “Aye Captain! Call us back if you need us!” one of the riders exclaims. “Please don’t need us though!” the group chuckles to themselv...

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“Scarlet Waves” by Lucy Gray

Submitted to Contest #108

CW: mention of self harm and suicideThe jagged surface of the sea had darkened to near black. Only with her ship’s light could Scarlet make out the peaks of waves and the indentations of ripples. It was mesmerizing, the way that the ripples swayed back and forth until they crested into waves. She used to obsess over those tiny singular motions and how they mingled with others to become great tides.Cool wetness pricked at the outer corner of Scarlet’s eye. She brought her fingers to her cheek as it dripped down her chin. She almost thought sh...

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“Voyage to a Secret Island ” by Thompson Emate

Submitted to Contest #108

Lester was bored. He was at a loose end. Nothing interesting to do. He decided to pay a visit to the garage to see if he could find anything to occupy him. Searching through the items in an old wooden box, he found a newspaper. Fllipping through, he stumbled on a column with a caption, 'TIME TRAVEL! TRY THESE''. Curious, he decided to read further. He discovered that the equations and formulas for time travel are in a book hidden in a cave on an island. He ran down to his friend's house excitedly holding the paper. "Eugene! Eugene!! Eugene!!...

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“Elemental Crimson Continent, First Chronicle.” by Brian Rains

Submitted to Contest #108

Beyond the India ocean, Ryu Hubuku, Stiery Chinn, and a few other crew members sailed towards an unknown continent. Upon the hopes of treasure and adventurous discovery they soon would find more in store on this unknown continent.Lost through time, this continent mysteriously rose up from the depths of the southern Indian ocean during the Stone age, around 1156 BCE.The mysterious continent unknowingly did not stay long and for a brief time some brave souls luckily got to explore and discover wonder on the continent.After a time, and with no ...

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“Baby Food” by Coltrane Rogers

Submitted to Contest #108

Content Warning: violence, explicit languageDetective Marsden, followed by a nurse, walked into hospital ward twenty-two to meet Lee Baxter, the thirty-three-year-old who was shrivelled like an old man on his death bed; Baxter occupied his own bed, albeit not dying, yet hooked up to an IV drip which slowly replenished his vitality.“Mr Baxter?”His tired eyes looked up in response.“We have a detective Marsden here who would like to talk to you, something about the incident.”“Thank you, Miss Raymer,” the detective spoke in a thick, sombre voice...

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“Sail Away” by Lynne Conrad

Submitted to Contest #108

Sail Away “Ahh, this is nice,” Todd said, while reclined on the small cushioned bench of the Savvy Lucia. Lena looked up at the blue, cloudless sky through new Ray Bans. Todd was right. The se...

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“The Lifeboat” by Danh Chantachak

Submitted to Contest #108

The old man stared at me from the bow of the vessel, his cracked lips pulled downwards into a grimace underneath his filthy beard. The armpits of his undershirt were stained yellow with sweat. I could smell his stench; indeed, there was no escape from it. No way to avoid the rancid odor emanating from his every pore. My only solace was the fact that my own odor was likely to be as keen an assault on his senses as his was on mine.I stared back at him from the stern. Oh, how I hated him. His crazy bloodshot eyes – the way they jutted out of hi...

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Write a story about a voyage on a boat.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 43 stories

“Merchant Boat” by Alex Sultan

“Pixie's Great Adventure” by Daniel R. Hayes

“The Sailor's Knot” by Jenna Fults

“Sink or Swim” by John K Adams

“DING” by Noelle C. Lee

“The Selkies' Welcome” by Kate Zerrenner

“Voice of the Ocean” by Valorie Nichols-DeVita

“Home” by Angela Kaufman

“Tempest” by Tyler Hanson

“Scarlet Waves” by Lucy Gray

“Voyage to a Secret Island ” by Thompson Emate

“Elemental Crimson Continent, First Chronicle.” by Brian Rains

“Baby Food” by Coltrane Rogers

“Sail Away” by Lynne Conrad

“The Lifeboat” by Danh Chantachak

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about a person or object vanishing into thin air.

Write a story about a team tunneling down into the centre of a planet.

Start or end your story with a house going up in flames.

Write a story about a character who’s trying to fill an empty space, literally or metaphorically.

Contest #108

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

203

Contest entries

207

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: