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68 Knots
68 Knots is a novel by Michael Robert Evans, written in 2007. Though Arthur is the main protagonist the view changes constantly throughout the story

Plot
The main plot centres around 8 totally different teens, who sign up for a leadership cruise on a ship named the Dreadnought on the coast of Maine. When they get to the ship, though, the captain, McKinley, is rude, obnoxious and lazy, who insists on giving the campers nicknames when they board, and the counsellors have just about had enough of them too. Eventually the counsellors take a lifeboat and leave, and the teens are stuck with McKinley on the boat for the rest of the summer. Then Arthur, the main character, goes down to the captain's cabin to see how he is, and he finds him dead. He also finds a suicide note, which he reads to the rest of the crew. After much debate they decide to dump McKinley's body into the water (as requested in his note) and decide that since they signed up for a cruise, they were going to get their cruise. The crew suffers the ups and downs of learning to sail the ship, getting to know each other and learning more about life and love.

Characters
Arthur Robinson: The main protagonist. Described as having "clean-cut good looks" and being tall. His nickname becomes Boy Scout once he boards the Dreadnought. He is obsessed with becoming the captain, and often refers to his father's (a big lawyer) advice, and tries very hard to get the leadership role he thinks he deserves. Eventually he begins to realize that sometimes leadership means stepping down. He begins to develope a relationship with Marietta Mathis, then proceeds to start liking Dawn after he begins to learn more about the two girls. He is 17.

Dawn FitzWilliam: Dawn wears her hair in a ponytail and a red baseball cap, earning her the nickname Shortstop. She begins a relationship with Arthur partway through the book. She is a very spiritual person, and believes that everyone and everything deserve to be treated equally. She often refers to "the goddess". She becomes friends with Joy.

Joy Orejuela: Another very spiritual character, Joy is attending the cruise in hopes of becoming more prepared to start her own church, The House of Joy. She does most of the cooking once McKinley dies. She has olive skin and dark hair, and is Spanish, so her nickname becomes Chiquita. She is from Austin, Texas. She later abandons her plan for The House of Joy to start a different organization, being one that where she goes to people to teach them about the faith, instead of building a church, after she has a conversation with Dawn. Joy has a boyfriend at home. She becomes friends with Dawn.

Logan McPhee: Logan is described as a chubby boy with a goofy grin. He has shaggy red hair. His nickname is Marshmallow. He often finds himself at a physical disadvantage to the others, especially Crystal, as he continually tries to impress her. He is awkward and provides comic relief for the rest of the crew. 16 years old.

Crystal Black: A very athletic and agile girl, who seems to suffer abandonment issues or loneliness, writing in her journal that she is afraid that when the summer ends no one will bother to keep in touch with her. She is described as wiry, with very short blond hair, and wears tight t-shirts and often goes barefoot. She is often dissmissive and very courageous, and she often speaks her mind and says the things the others are afraid to. Her frame gets her the name Spider from McKinley.

Bill "BillFi" Fiona: Described as a scrawny nervous boy with large black glasses. His nickname becomes Squinty. He has a gift of foresseing things and is very intuitive. He is friends with Jesse, whom he met at a foster home.

Jesse Kowalewski: He is very strong and muscular, and he is able to hold his breath underwater for long periods of time. He is 16 years old. He is a man of few words, and shows little emotion, with the exception of the death of the kitten, Ishmael. Jesse is shown also to have a soft spot for animals, and seems to feel no need to explain what he's doing to the others; he just does it. Crystal descibes him as being slow in the brain, but with a killer body. He is friends with BillFi, whom he met at a foster home.

Marietta Mathis: Her incredible body and expertly styled hair earn her the name Bunny. She is, however, a bit of a downer, and she has a terrible attitude toward everything. She and Arthur begin a relationship, but when he ends it she leaves the crew and tturns them in to the coastguard. She doesn't handle anger well. She probably relies on her looks to get herself through life. She is described by Arthur when he breaks up with her as never having any fun.

Captain "Commodore" McKinley: He is the captain of the Dreadnought. His idea for the leadership cruise was his last idea for making himself something, as he had previously tried such jobs as running a magazine. He gets depressed once he realizes he doesn't like his crew, and kills himself.