Try a Sailing Day

Now I seem to have this blog fixed I thought it time to give an update of some recent nautical activities.
This blog is mainly based around our experiences of Mediterranean cruising, up to now due to the relatively short time we can give up to spending time on the water this has been confined to the area around the Southern Costa Blanca and on Wonderful World, a motor cruiser, however when time permits I have always had it in my mind to expand this to cover much broader areas of the Med, perhaps not on a motor cruiser but on a sailing yacht.So, this last weekend me and my three sons decided to charter a sailing yacht and gain some experience for when I take the plunge and set sail on a longer journey across the Mediterannean. The charter company of choice was sunsail cruiser,I had seen these guys around the marina for a couple of years, their boats always look clean and in good order, and with the staff pleasant and helpful when I first spoke to them during the summer about a sailing day (with skipper)I knew this idea was going to be correct for this occasion. We started the day by calling for provisions, pastries and bottled water and then headed to the marina. The skipper Fran was waiting on Nauticum, a beautiful 12.1m Hanse 400 sloop. We had a discussion regards what the remit was for the day and Fran started the engine and we prepared to leave the berth, I was asked to take the helm and we proceeded carefully away from the pontoon to open water where I put Nauticum into the wind in readiness for hoisting the sails. When in position a few good pulls on the halyard and the main sail was raised, the jib sail was then unfurled, with the engine off  we then set sail on this beautiful blue sky and sunshine day towards Cabo Roig. There was a slight offshore wind and calm sea which Fran explained was typical for this time of year and would be ideal for the day`s sailing. As we begun the voyage the sails were trimmed, the auto helm was set and we sailed quietly and peacefully southbound at around 3 knots with just the sound of the sea lapping gently against the hull, this is exactly what I wanted and expected to experience, a complete contrast to Wonderful World where the norm is to get to the destination quickly driven by a powerful and noisey 5l petrol engine.
The whole day was full of new sailing experiences with every aspect explained by Fran, sailing by wind power is a joy and a relaxing experience where the main emphasis is to keep the sails trimmed correctly, trying to avoid excessive heeling and concentrating on enjoying the beautiful Mediterranean climate whilst quietly sailing.
In conclusion I think sailing by wind power is just as rewarding as the thrill of a motor boat but for different reasons, both give you the freedom of the sea and the joy that brings, but to quote Ferris Bueller "Life moves pretty fast. If you don`t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it" fits perfectly with the concept of a sailing boat!

Disfruta de la Vida