Every so often, I get blown away by a group of people that go out sailing with me. A few days ago it happened again. Although every sail is special and the people are great, sometimes a group just stands out.
The day of this sail, the marine forecast for Fort Myers Beach was for a small craft advisory with winds blowing 20-25 knots and gusting higher at times. I had a morning half day sail scheduled at 11am but the party canceled after I told them of the conditions we would be sailing in. I understood their concerns and took the time to do some boat maintenance on Star of Orion while watching the weather for my sunset cruise with the group pictured here. Although I left a message with this group about the conditions, they did not receive the message and arrived at the dock ready to go sailing. Here's the best part..... When they arrived, I told them that the seas would be a little rough, the winds strong, the temp chilly, and the boat would lean. They looked at me and said "don't we need wind with a sailboat?". I immediately fell in love with the group. I fired up the engine, threw off the dock lines, and away we went out to the Gulf of Mexico.
I wish I knew more about these folks because I happen to think that they have some real pirate blood in them. With a double reef in the main sail and the jib rolled out half way, the boat still did 5-6 knots in 4-5 foot roller-waves while kicking up some salt spray. The thoughts of sea sickness for my guests began to creep in my head only to be removed by the question "When are we opening up the wine we brought?". Awesome!
Even this young lady pictured here couldn't stop talking about how much fun this was. After a few glasses of wine and some pirate talk (Ha!), she blew the conch shell with the power of 20 salty sailors. Impressive! The rest of the group also took turns at the conch shell with everyone doing an impressive job except one gentleman. Everyone laughed at his expense, but I saw the look in his eyes afterward....the look that tells me he's out buying a shell right now to practice for next time.By the way, this young lady was so cool that those sunglasses never came off even as we arrived to the dock in complete darkness. Pirates beware!
I'll never forget this sail with a group that surely is the life of any party they go to. Sailing the Gulf of Mexico never disappoints! Come back and see me soon. I still can't wipe the smile off my face.
Fair Winds,
Capt. Dan
www.sailmagicwind.com
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