Sea, Winds, Sailboat and Setting Sun!!! Stuffs that dreams are made of…Huh!! For me too this scene was only in my dreams until……3 years back.

‘Heart and Soil’ is a group with whom I have gone Kayaking, Meteor shower gazing , camping and basically all activities to do with Nature and outdoors. When they pinged me that they are organizing a sailing activity off Gateway of India this summer, I jumped at this opportunity. Wow!!!! I was thrilled to bits and super excited. I messaged that I am in and registered for the same right-away. 

As a kid I remember making paper sail boats and drawings in school with a sailboat, fishes and mountains with setting sun in the background. Having read about Sailing in books and seen in movies since childhood it soon became one of my fantasies that I had dreamt of doing someday. That day will finally arrive, had never imagined. 

After registering looked up the net and realized I was in fact unaware of the Sailing clubs and Sailing activities off Gateway till date. Being a Mumbaikar and not knowing this till date was such a shame. I consoled myself that it’s better late than never. The pictures and experiences people shared, videos uploaded on YouTube all looked absolutely breath taking and enticing. 

Soon the day arrived. We reached Gateway of India. All excited with our caps on and wearing big smiles, got on to the small motor driven boat at the jetty to reach our Sailboat. I’ll be honest was totally unaware of how this works and started off asking naïve questions. Obviously it wasn’t our sailboat, I asked why we weren’t in one, the kind ( and confused at my silly question) person guiding our boat smiled and said you remember Sailboats runs on wind alone and they are anchored further down in the sea and not at jetty as wind isn’t stronger nearer shore. I was like Ohh ya. I thanked him sheepishly :P. As we went away from the shore and into the sea we could see many Sailboats anchored. Had seen from Gateway but never put two and two together. 

We reached ours soon, “Grey Eagle” as it was called. In mid sea we jumped from our boats onto the sailboat!! It was anchored and the Sail was not yet put up. It was folded. Only the caretaker-Operator of the Boat was on onboard. Within minutes our skipper hopped on board and together they set up the sails. It was huuuuuuugggggeeee. The Sailboat was about 18-21 Feet and the sails soared high in the air to around 45 feet. It had a seating capacity for 4-5 and water and basic supplies like biscuits and Juice. The deck didn’t have a railing. Once they set up the beam, mast and sails the boat started moving. It was moving with only Wind energy…no motor…no oars…It was absolute bliss. 

As the boat started to pick-up speed the skipper explained us the physics and mechanics of the Sailboat. He also shared trivia about the different leisure boats like Yachts, Speed boats, motor boats, sailboats. The various races held. He also showed us around which boats belonged to the high and mighty of Mumbai from Actors to Industrialists. These rich yacht owners have also sailed to places like Goa, Mauritius etc onboard their Yachts!! This was news to me. He shared about the Yacht parties and how people spend weekends on these yachts cruising around the Mumbai coast. I was all tempted now, and asked him how much does this Sailboat cost…He replied about 15-20 lakhs and maintenance of minimum 5 lakhs per year excluding the salary of the caretaker who has to sleep on board to ensure no one un-moors and takes away your boat!! I had to control my feelings, keep my desires in check, dropped the idea of buying one and concentrated on enjoying the moment. 

Then on ….it was sheer poetry in motion. The warm sultry winds filled my lungs, the breeze teased my hair and our windswept faces had childlike grin, waves crashed in on our boat pushing it ahead and our cute little Sailboat bobbing on the sea was a sight straight out of fantasy. Couldn’t stop smiling and was soon lost in my own world relishing each second each wave each breath. 

There we were in the middle of the sea. The waves lashed on to boat drenching the deck and spraying us with sea water. It was wilderness in middle of the sea. A feeling of adventure kicked in and adrenaline shot up. Skipper chided us to go on to the deck and enjoy the feeling. I was a bit skeptical in the beginning, but then buoyed after I saw the skipper on stepping on the deck for few seconds, I too decided to step on the deck. Holding on to the ropes of the sails I stepped on the deck. 

It was surreal to say the least. There I was on the deck, no railings, just holding on to the ropes for my dear life, but surprisingly didn’t feel the fear. I was too high on the adrenaline kick and just lost in that moment. A moment of solitude amidst the vast sea, watching the waves crashing on in a calm rhythm, clear blue sky above and water and just water all around. The golden hues on the water due to setting sun and the sky changing color by the minute from Golden to Crimson to Pink and finally setting behind the horizon. I was lucky to witness this from a grandstand view of nature surrounded by its elements and beauty unfolding in front me each second was out of this world. It’s inexplicable. Cant do justice if I have to describe that experience in words. I couldn’t believe I was living that moment. That dream. A calm, peaceful feeling, with air of freshness rushing in to rejuvenate me. A soothing effect on my nerves and my thoughts. A much needed reboot. A fantasy well lived. A dream fulfilled. 

Skipper asked me now to stepped down from the deck as the sea turned choppy and the sailboat lurched to dangerous angles.The skipper and the operator skillfully maneuvered the sails and the beams to navigate through the wind. It was exhilarating. After 2 hour long sailing experience across slightly calm and choppy waters, I sat there recalling a lesson or two on life. To keep moving, to not get steered off course by the wind, but to adapt quickly and adjust the sails in the right direction coz it’s the sails that determine the speed and direction not the wind and above all to explore the world and opportunities it provides. 

I resolved to come back each summer in the Sailing season to relive those moments and make new memories.

I had the warm sunshine on my back, wind in my sails and the waves egging us on …there was nothing else I could have asked for more that day. 

Vibhavari