I have enjoyed boating as long as I can remember. As I child, I went to my grandparents lakeside cabin most week-ends. My uncle was often there too with his boat offering rides and a chance to try waterskiing, tubing, knee boarding and wakeboarding. Since I’ve been a parent, my brother has been the “funcle” (fun uncle) offering boat rides to the next generation.
In my travels, I am often drawn to water. I get onboard whenever there is an opportunity for boating,. I have enjoyed cruises to Alaska and to the Bahamas, a scenic boat ride in Milford Sound, New Zealand,, a boat to floating reed islands on Lake Titicaca, a whitewater raft on the White Nile, and was able to experience a dugout canoe and a heritage steam paddle-wheeler on Lake Malawi. Our son found his happy place on the bow since boating on Lake Taupo in New Zealand at 4 years old.
A few years ago we had the opportunity to join friends on a week long sailing trip around the Hawaiian Islands. This was a magical experience that took my love of boating to a new level. We saw so many whales up close and had a pod of dolphins swimming and playing beside the boat. What made it special is that we were sailing most of the time. No engine noise, no pollution, only harmony and connection with the environment. We did experience some challenges, but you can read about those in a future story.
The friends from the Hawaii trip were hooked as well and bought their own sailboat that was located in Haida Gwaii. We have since been on multiple adventures with them and the boat called “Sea Hawk”. We had surreal encounters with orcas while exploring the Broughton Archipelago and incredible scenery in Desolation Sound. Little did we know that this was only the beginning.
Inspired by our Hawaii sailing experience, we planned an unforgettable trip sailing around the San Blas Islands in Panama. There are 365 tropical islands, you could visit a new island every day of the year if you had time. We were guests aboard a sailboat owned by a family that calls the Guna Yala home. The husband a marine mechanic from Spain, the wife an exceptional chef originally from Guatemala, and their young son eager to spend time playing with our son who was a few years older. The family was well respected around the islands for helping out other boat captains and assisting locals with supplies and basic infrastructure such as solar panels to provide electricity to the tiny communities.
This year we acquired the Sea Hawk after our friends upgraded to a bigger boat. I was fortunate enough to spend over 20 nights on the boat this year on various lakes, rivers, and in the Salish Sea exploring the Southern Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island.
There are many stories yet to be told and new experiences to come. One such story will be our journey of learning the ins and outs of boating, mistakes to avoid (such as breaking the mast), and becoming competent sailors.