Offshore sailing at night

Sailing to Gotland was one of those things that I had set up as a goal for the summer. But not being too familiar with off shore sailing, and not really trusting my boats navigational equipment, I was hesitant to do it alone on my boat. So when I crossed paths with this German sailor who was about to set sail to Gotland, I jumped at the idea of joining, and simply asked the question if I could tag along. And so I did. Some occasionally worry about my spontaneity; going sailing that far with a crew and a boat that you don’t know I can understand might seem bold, but if there is something that I am cautious about it’s my own safety. Even when I worked with crocodiles I never felt unsafe. The crew on this fine sailing vessel was more competent than I ever could have hoped for, and the experience of tagging along on this passage is one that I value highly, both in terms of gaining sailing experience, but also, more importantly, it made me feel at home. You see, having dreams that stray from the span of “normal” life goals, can be quite a lonely place, so when you find other people who “get it” you feel like you truly can be yourself. The night sail to Gotland took well over 10 hours, but I was grinning most of the time. I loved it. I was at peace. I was at home. Next to me was Felix, the owner of the boat, and he too was smiling most of the way. Partly because he also loves sailing, but also, I think, because of my ridiculous smile that I could just not wipe off. After a breathtaking sunset, at around 2 am, I headed to bed and left Felix at the helm. I woke up around 4.30 am and saw the first sunrays penetrating the hatches. I have always loved watching both the sunset and the sunrise. So I headed back up on deck, and watched an equally impressive sunrise. I was tired, but it was just too beautiful and perfect to go back to bed. So we sailed all the way to Visby, and docked at around 8 am. This was the most emotionally fulfilling experience I have had in years. And it feels so good to get a confirmation that my love for being on the water isn’t imaginary or far-fetched. I could cross oceans and love it. All of it. Wow. Thank you Felix.