I have been trying to cut down on the alcohol. I truly am. Nobody is espousing the heath benefits of drinking anymore. But after a hard day of work in the tropics, there’s only so much a glass of water can do for you. And, yes, I did say ‘work’. Many of our friends assume that when we arrive at the boat, especially at a place like here in the Caribbean, it is all stunning sunsets and umbrella drinks. The intense physicality of sailing as a sport can not be underestimated. There are several weeks at the beginning of the season consumed by loading gear, rigging sails, fixing equipment that suddenly stopped working, and doing upgrades to keep the boat functioning well so that the core season doesn’t become a long stream of repair projects. And there is the act of sailing itself. The raising and trimming of sails, the navigating, the studying of books and apps to find out where to anchor and what the weather has in store for us, the schlepping of groceries from store to dock to dinghy to boat. We do periodically get to our destination in time to enjoy a sunset and maybe a swim, but it is far from a cruise ship experience. I like to think about it like a backpacking trip. You plan well in advance, you test out your gear, you drive to the trailhead, you do the work of hiking to the summit, but there’s not a lot of time to dawdle, as you need to get to a place of safety to pitch the tent for the night, make dinner, and figure out when to break camp in the morning to give yourself enough time in-route to the next campsite.
