Maiden Voyage I ~ I saw three ships come sailing in…
Maiden Voyage I
Three All-Girls Vessels
Thankfully, our voyage did not end like Gilligan’s Island three hour tour! In order to encourage camaraderie among sailors and power boaters at our marina, a few of us planned an all-girls overnight sailing voyage. Cast off Muskegon dock: 10 a.m. Power boaters and sailors alike stood on the docks and at the pier waving and taking pictures. We waved back feeling what celebrities must feel like in view of the public eye.
By morning, skies were blue and Captain Mary stood behind the helm. Waves remained confused from the big blow of 40 knot winds from the night before. We were tossed about on the trip south from our home port. We tacked back and forth in order to capture the most efficient wind from our main and jib sails. Unfortunately, the sloppy seas and light, variable wind did not allow us to sail all the way. By 2:30 p.m., all three vessels were safely tied up at the municipal dock in Grand Haven.
Gabrielle had never been taken out alone without the presence of our guys – Henry and Steve. When the subject was originally broached of an all-girls sailing adventure, both husbands were 100% in favor of the idea. Secretly, I almost hoped one of them would veto the idea so we wouldn’t have to carry through with the idea. Instead, our guys backed us up the entire way as they cheered us on and were our biggest champions. They both said,
“You girls looked good out there sailing. No more tweaking needed to be done…we’re proud of you!”
Water was flat and wind calm by the next morning. Crew member, Deann shared words of wisdom from her 95 year old grandpa:
“The wind, she’ll wake up ’bout 10 and then ’round 6, she’ll tuck herself away. She’ll generally be still at night.”
Wind was light most of the sail home, so we motor sailed Gabrielle back to her home port. On the way back, our all-girls boat had time to reflect and muse. A common thread rang out: each of us was blessed to have husbands who encouraged and supported us in our independent endeavors.
I am so thankful our men trusted us to take the vessels out in open waters. Hot Fudge, Gabrielle, and Sea Lass sailed the trek with no injuries and returned with the same amount of bodies we left the dock with. “Guys, you taught us well!” The whole experience was a great confidence builder and self-esteem booster.