Set Sail to Adventure: A perfect travel escape
To say I love to sail might be understating things. Something about being on board a boat powered by the wind, carving through the waves, and feeling the ocean spray on my face takes me to a very happy place. I've jumped at every opportunity to sail since I was a young boy in summer camp, perched on the tiny deck of a Sunfish sailboat as the wind propelled me around a lake. Since then, I've been on dozens of sailboats, usually ones owned by friends. Some of the adventures have been for the day, and others, for several weeks. To be clear, I would never call myself a sailor. Though I am more than capable as crew.
Sailing, for me, embodies the perfect travel adventure, the ideal escape, if only for a few hours. Whether I am helping to trim a sail, taking a shift in the cockpit, or simply sitting in the sun listening to the rhythmic wash of waves passing along the boat's hull, anytime I am sailing, I feel free. When sailing, the world slows down. Rocky coastlines, hidden coves, secluded islands, magical lighthouses all simply slip by quietly, unless an anchor is dropped to stay and explore for a while.
If you've not tried sailing, you should. I guarantee it will leave a lasting impression. And it just might serve to ignite a passion to explore more of the world from a boat and launch a lifelong love affair with the sea. Here are just a few ways to experience sailing on your next vacation.
Go sailing with friends.
Several of my most memorable sailing adventures have occurred with friends. Two, in fact, were with the same set of friends, Sharon and Vaughn. On the first, my wife, Therese Iknoian, and I joined Sharon and Vaughn for two weeks sailing around Fiji. And if sailing in a tropical paradise sounds idyllic, it was. At the end of the two weeks, Therese flew off for her own adventure in New Zealand while I stayed aboard as crew to help Sharon and Vaughn sail their boat to its winter harbor, in Opua, New Zealand. I'd never done a big open water crossing before and once I had, I was hooked.
Take a sailing tour for a few hours, like under the Golden Gate Bridge.
If your travels take you anywhere near San Francisco, put a sunset sail with Adventure Cat on your list of things to do. You'll experience views of San Francisco like few ever get the opportunity to see. Experience gazing at the San Francisco skyline, the San Francisco waterfront, Alcatraz, and the Golden Gate Bridge, all from the deck of a catamaran. In fact, you'll find yourself sailing right under the Golden Gate Bridge – that's a view you can only get from a sailboat, and it is pretty darn amazing.
Sail on an historic schooner and connect with history.
For the ultimate sailing adventure with an historic twist, consider a Maine Windjammer cruise. We spent a week sailing on the J&E Riggin among the islands of Maine, and every day was filled with relaxation, laughter, and sightseeing. It's not luxury sailing. More like glamping on the water where delicious food is served for every meal. And since you're sailing in Maine, there must be a lobster bake, right? Of course there is, one with a sunset view that will blow your mind.
Take a week-long learn-to-sail course in an exotic destination!
Therese and I spent a week in Croatia aboard a 42-foot-long luxury catamaran for a Nautilus Sailing liveaboard sailing course. The week adventure departed from and returned to Trogir, an historic island city that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Along the voyage, we visited the island of Solta; the popular island of Hvar, known for its lavender fields; and then the island of Vis, where the movie Mama Mia was filmed. We ate delicious food, both on board and in restaurants. We swam in amazingly blue waters. We wandered around historic villages. We rode motorbikes around the island of Vis. And in between all that fun and adventure, we actually learned to sail. Four to five students for every boat with one instructor means instruction is focused, personal, intensive, and hands-on. With the goal, at the end of the week, of earning a certification so you can charter and captain your own catamaran anywhere in the world.
— Story by Michael Hodgson