Gets the Best of Me

'Fantasy gets the best of me
when I'm sailing' ~Sailing/Christopher Cross





I am glad for those opportunities when bucket list type events can be added and then simultaneously crossed off.  On Tuesday, we took a sailboat excursion from the bay of San Juan del Sur around to a secluded beach where one of the former generals of the Sandinistas' home is located.  The five hour trip sailed us out into the waters to see the town and its surrounding bays from a different perspective - past the cove where the Nicaraguan Survivor was filmed and on to the private stretch of sand.  The trip included all the beverages we could want and a light, homemade (A-mazing) lunch after exploring the ocean's edge at the remote beach.  I don't have pictures from that beach - we had a choice to either swim to shore or have Jim take us to shore.  Either way, the Nikon wouldn't have survived.

 Meet Jim.  This is his sailboat - the Jem.  I am learning that one of the best reasons to seek out new experiences and places is the people that you meet along the way.  People absolutely fascinate me.  I study them, and one day, I am going to get up the nerve to ask if I can take their picture instead of trying to sneak a shot of them when they aren't looking.  I thought this was cool, anyway - catching him in action.  He is the epitome of a Jimmy Buffetesque type character.  From what I gathered, he was once a professsor or some such job that had him working at a college somewhere up in the Washington state/Oregon area.  At some point, he left it all, and has traveled all over.  Apparently he has also had quite a few girlfriends across continents as well (*sly grin).  For the past fifteen years, he has lived on this boat.  Essentially, we took a ride out on the open sea from his living room couch.  Basically.


Of course, my mind that is always churning full tilt began imagining what that kind of life might be like.  I've often thought I would love to try living on a boat for a year.  So I can relate to Christopher Cross's line in his song that fantasy gets the best of him when he's sailing.....um.  Yeah.  I wonder all kinds of things about what it might be like on a boat.  *eyebrow waggle


Ehm.  Anyway - SO...here's the sail!

 I have learned that I adore the sound of canvas snapping in the wind, as it glides to the top of the mast.

 The beautiful bay from the water.

I started out sitting down in the boat with my new friend, Francie.  See the guy at the wheel?  I never did get his name so I will call him English Bloke.  Another interesting character.  He was this wee little man from England who had also been somewhat nomadic, but he grew up on water and around boats all his life.  You could see the absolute passion for sailing in his eyes.  He was co-captain for the day.  I'll show you were he lives at the end.


I don't know why Francie and I stayed there in that part of the boat.  Let's just say I am relieved that it was where I was when we passed a cliff of rocks and a wind shear took the boat nearly over on its side.  I am not kidding.  One minute we were clipping along, upright and happy.  The next minute I look over to see English Bloke gripping the wheel and throwing his entire 93 pounds into holding steady.  My instinct was to tuck around my camera bag that was in my lap (was I thinking it doubled as a flotation device?  Who knows.) and prepare to roll out into the water.  That's how far over we went.  A crack of the sail and we were horizontal with the water.  Way cool.

That's Barry, Francie's hub with Hubs.  

 On the way back from the beach, I rode out on this part of the boat (I'm not up on my boat parts) up near the front.  THAT was incredible.  When the boat tossed and toppled this time, I let go and went with it.  I would say this was up there on the list of exhilarating experiences for me.

 A shot of the sail and sky while lying on my back looking up.

 These ropes were as thick as my wrist.

 Another engaging part of the trip was the short ride out to and from the Jem on Juan's fishing boat.  We hopped on with all the other fishermen after a long day at sea.

 Everything is colorful here.

And that?  That is English Bloke's boat/home.  See him headed back?  He lives there.  Up in that boat on stilts.  Fascinating.


If you're ever in San Juan del Sur, look up Jim.  You will be absolutely glad you did.  I promise.