Sailing, sailing away

Maybe you remember that treacly Chris Cross tune from the 1980's, and maybe you youngsters don't. I thought of it as I unwind from a week of sailing in the Caribbean with my family. We are not long time mariners, but have gone on day sails in the past. I was finally able to get the family motivated to take a week-long basic sailing course. Now we know the difference between a jib and a jibe!

We lived aboard a 41' Beneteau sloop. The kids slept in the aft cabin while my wife and I occupied the one forward. You might think that with two cabins (bedrooms), space was plenty-not really. Living on a boat, at least one in our budget range, is a test of family dynamics. Then there's getting used to the marine toilet, otherwise known as the head. It's not quite the hotel experience-then again a simple room can't offer the excitement of riding the wind and waves. I marveled at how my children, ages 14 and 11, took to sailing. The kids are deeply satisfied at being able to pilot a vessel as large as a school bus, years before they'll get a permit to drive a car.




We had sailing lessons from 10 AM to 4 PM, almost all of that time on the water. It's strenuous activity being under the sun, keeping your balance and fighting against the pull of the wind on the sheets. At the end of the day, you are quite spent. One afternoon we combed the beach for shells. My eldest daughter, I'm pleased to learn, has a good eye with the camera.

If you're wondering when the workouts are going to appear in this post, I'm sorry to have to disappoint you. I did not do any training. The next installment, I promise, will be about trying to pick-up where I left off.