Sailing, Snokeling, and Hurling the Technicolor Yawn

As much as the unexpected has become a way of living, it still catches us by surprise sometimes. We’ve learned that magic arrives when we are not looking and expectations can cloud our vision to it. Fulfilling something we have dreamed of or thought about for some time may be so full of anticipation that reality is tainted by it. Or, when things do not turn out as expected, we may be baffled by those things that we’d never thought of.

When we were in Croatia almost a year ago we’d watched the cruisers pull their rented sailboats into harbor and line the dock or jetty. They would eat dinner on the stern deck of their boats; mobile hotel rooms in the best locations of the ancient cities of Dalmatia. Dreaming of it made John look up sailing schools online and download a kindle book about the basics.

We’d gaped at the huge yachts in Monaco and Nice. I various places we’ve stayed on this trip around the world, we’ve sought out information about sailboat charters and houseboat rentals, river barges and small cruise ships. Each time, however, the cost put us squarely back on terra firma. We can splurge a little here and there, but for an extended trip like this we could not justify blowing a two or three week’s budget in three days, much less spending a week on a boat. The cost was always so much more than the land based options.

Here in the Seychelles, we found a charter who offered us a last minute rate that put a week on a sailboat in reach. They had space that would go empty, and we know from our days operating a resort that there is nothing more perishable than time. A bed that goes unfilled has no salvage value. So, we set sail on a catamaran, finally fulfilling our wish.

We have several boats at home, small ones for lakes and rivers. We’ve made multiple ferry crossings and love being on the water. None of us expected to hang over the rail feeding our recently finished meals to the fish. I think the malaria meds we are still taking for the four weeks following our explorations of Botswana are not helping with the seasickness. They make us dizzy and nauseated on dry land, adding the sway of a boat made us all worse and put both girls over the edge.

We love the little kayak and the snorkeling. We’ve swam with brightly colored fish, sea turtles, and even a couple of sharks and barracuda. A catamaran is a fabulous way to see the islands. We’ve picnicked with giant tortoise, and walked through forest and beaches. The boat comes with a skipper and a cook, we do nothing but play in the water, eat, sleep, and unfortunately, vomit.

I think we are getting beyond the seasickness. Lunches have stayed down for the last 24 hours. We may choose to sail on a future vacation. Probably not when we are still taking Melfliam.