A Typical Day Afloat
“After a night of being soothingly rocked to sleep on the calm waters of Port Pendennis (Falmouth) breakfast of toast and cereal was keenly eaten around 8.30, followed by clearing away and having a hot shower in the nearby marina block ashore. The therapist and support worker joined the boat at 9am and we chatted informally about the night before and then had a slightly more formal check-in where everyone (staff included) freely talked about how we were feeling and why we were feeling that way. We reflected a little about the previous day and what we hoped to get out of this one.
We start getting ourselves and the boat ready around 9.30am, breathable wet weather gear, boots and hydrostatic (or ‘self-inflating’ – I’m learning lots already!) life jackets (which were all provided for us) were donned and we busied ourselves getting the sails and ropes ready before setting off. Leaving the marina is a busy time, ropes have to be coiled and fenders have to be untied and put away before the sails are hoisted.
We leave Falmouth behind and the mechanical humdrum of the engine is replaced by the washing of water past the boat and the gentle hum of the sails as we cut through the small waves. The feeling is a wonderful massaging of the senses, a feeling of being one with the sea, acutely aware of the wind driving us forward. I feel a little nervous as the boat further leans over but look to the skipper who is grinning away and reassures me that this is perfectly normal and a sign that we are sailing well. I grow accustomed to the sensation and actually start to enjoy it.
As we sail across the Carrick Roads we chat about the landscape, the other boats on the water and the wildlife around us, we keep our eyes out for seals and cormorants – last week’s group was lucky enough to see a pod of dolphins – and enjoy some dried fruit and biscuits. Today we are stopping at St. Mawes where the water is calm and relaxing, yesterday we stopped near the King Harry Ferry which was simply serene.
After we had anchored the yacht and secured the sails we had hot drinks and sat in the cockpit. The group discussion was all about how we respond to situations, I found this fairly easy to discuss but could see others being quiet at first. I know how they felt, it’s strange talking with people you’ve only just met the day before but it seems longer than that and I feel comfortable about it now. After a while, everyone joins the discussion, which is good, I may have made a couple of new friends, which was unexpected.
The group session was hard work at times, but I think I’ve really learned something new, I’ve realised that I react negatively to situations which I frequently misinterpret and I really don’t need to. Lunch was good, the skipper prepared a small buffet style feast with salads, cold meats, bread, pickles, cheeses, and fruit. We chat about anything and everything and share silly jokes. I think the staff must enjoy their work, I am having a good week.
We have another group session after lunch, this time we did some mindful breathing, which sounds funny but left me feeling really relaxed. We then talked about how we can be more aware of what is happening in our body and how awareness can help us manage our emotions. We’ve all been given journals to note down what is talked about and I’m getting into using it, the staff encourage me to use it as much as possible so that when the course is over I can refer back to what we have learnt. I think it is good to have as we are learning more than I can remember. We finish the session with a knot tying exercise, there are several different knots to learn so I‘ve quietly set myself a challenge of remembering just the ‘bowline’ for the time being, I’ll ask the staff before tying the other knots.
Winching up the anchor before we sail back is hard work, so I do a little, and let someone else have a go, that’s why we have teams isn’t it! The sail back is great, the weather went overcast but stayed dry, the wind was behind us and strong enough for us to sail quite quickly. Sailing downwind means that the boat stays flatter on the water and we cross to Falmouth so quickly that we ask the skipper if we can go back and forth a bit, he seems happy to do this as he obviously likes sailing. The other guys on board seem to be enjoying themselves, I think we have all felt anxious at some stage but I think we’re learning well together.
Coming back into Falmouth is busy again, sails to take down, fenders to go out, ropes to be tied on and when we get back to the pontoon we have to fold the sails up, pack ropes away, and I enjoy a cigarette on the pontoon, I suddenly realise I have not thought about smoking all day! It feels warmer back on the pontoon, I guess that’s because we are a bit sheltered from the wind here. We do a check out with the therapist and support worker, talking of how we are feeling now (good, tired), why we’re feeling that way (having read this far you should know!) and what we are looking forward to tomorrow (more of the same, more sailing, maybe even a stronger wind, or am I just getting carried away?). They then say goodbye and that is the end of the structured psychological education, the phrase sounds weird but it is basically about perception and how we think.
There are some big boats on the pontoon, massive boats, Leopard is 43ft long which I thought was quite big. The big boats make Leopard look small, but she is very stylish, yes, sleek and stylish.
We have free time in the evening, I’m not so keen on cooking so someone else helps the skipper and I wash up afterwards. Dinner was good, a hearty bolognaise that we struggle to finish and after clearing away we sit and chat, we played scrabble last night but tonight we just seem comfortable jabbering away and having a laugh. We talk of sailing and I’m beginning to think that we sound like old salty sea dogs – but we’ve only been sailing for two days! We’re free to go out for the evening, but I’m physically too tired and I think the others are too. I might go out tomorrow, as long as we don’t come back to the boat drunk, we’re free to suit ourselves. The skipper stays on board with us for the week, someone needs to be responsible for the boat after all and I suppose he is the best person for the job.
By 10pm we are feeling shattered and I’m out for the count by 10.30, I fall asleep with Leopard gently rocking and picturing that moment when the sails fill with wind, the engine switches off and we move gracefully through the waves, with the splashing, humming melody in my ears and the salty breeze on my lips and in my hair. I’m looking forward to tomorrow…….”
