I was a teenager when I first stepped aboard an Egyptian sailboat on the Nile river (we lived overseas and traveled extensively). Almost instantly I was seasick, even though the water was calm and the boat only gently rocked. Therefore, my entire adult life (well, up until meeting Craig), I had avoided boats and particularly sailboats.

That past feeling of mal di mare was brought nauseatingly back to mind a few years ago when we were looking to purchase a Great Loop boat. I again found myself on a nearly motionless boat in a marina, feeling queasy after just a short time aboard. It took me both time and effort to overcome seasickness (Scopolamine patches, Meclizine, and even a bit of ginger just for good measure) but it’s been worth every upset tummy. Now I sing a different tune:

It’s not far to never never land
No reason to pretend
And if the wind is right you can find the joy
Of innocence again
Oh, the canvas can do miracles
Just you wait and see, believe me
-Christopher Cross

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’ve discovered there is something incredibly special about sailing. Even though you’re traveling less than 10 lousy miles an hour, when the wind is in your face and the sails are full, the turquoise water is right below you and puffy white clouds float in the bright blue sky above you – your cares are blown away and you rush back to the happy, carefree times when you giggled with childish glee. As much as I loved Joy Girl, she never made me laugh with pure delight.

Often during a sail we take a break, release the swim platform, and jump into fresh Caribbean-blue Lake Charlevoix. And it’s been a wonderful pleasure to share this gift with several friends including experienced sailors Michelle and Berry (first photos) and longtime friends/accomplices Jim and Sherryl. The latter were our first visitors to spend a few nights aboard N’Joy, using her as our floating guest cabin.

Of course, we want to share our happiness with the kitties. We won’t torture Roswell, but we took Mulder aboard and he did great. He nosed around above and below deck, then, in sweet kitten style, found the Captain’s Quarters and took a cat nap. This is his first time on a boat since he was 10 months old, on Craig’s former sailboat.

Craig is not as enthused with sailing as he thought he’d be, because he forgot how much work is involved. He must raise the mainsail and roll out the jib to get us started, then he must trim the sails to keep us moving along. Like his Dad used to say, Craig is “running around like a fart in a bottle”! I do my part at the helm but that doesn’t help him much. Then he must take the sails down when we’re finished. At 64, sometimes he fantasizes about buying another trawler when he remembers how easy it was to glide along on Joy Girl. Hmmmm…..

For now, let’s go sailing!