Sailing the BVI: The Calm and the Chaos

Sailing is a wonderful activity, offering peace and tranquility, a serene escape from the day-to-day. Imagine: gliding across crystal-clear waters, stunning sunsets, cocktails and delicious seafood. The gentle lapping of waves against the hull, the rhythmic creak of the mast, the vast expanse of sky and sea—these are the elements that draw us to the water. It’s a time to disconnect, to reconnect, to ponder, to simply be. The world slows down and your worries fade away, into the horizon.

But don’t be fooled by the peaceful exterior. Beneath the surface lies a world of adrenaline-fueled flurry. Docking a sailboat, for example, is a high-stress endeavor. The heart races, the palms sweat, and nausea washes over you as you approach the dock. Coordinating your efforts at the helm and on the deck, you’re anticipating the boat’s movements and executing precise maneuvers. Every movement, every decision, can mean the difference between a smooth docking and a million-dollar disaster. It’s a balancing act of guts and precision, and a large bit of luck.

Sailing is not for the faint of heart.

The Monday before we left for our BVI adventure, I woke up to dark floaters in my left eye. I messaged my eye doctor and was able to get an appointment within hours. By the end of the day, I got in at the retina clinic and had laser surgery to fix retinal tears! During the procedure, I told the laser surgeon that we were preparing to go on a sailing trip that would likely require, at times, a lot of physical exertion. He assured me that it would probably be fine, he wasn’t terribly concerned, and we’d have a follow-up visit after the trip.

So, we went on the trip feeling fairly good about my eye situation. While on the trip, however, we were put through all sorts of suffering, starting on day one! After we checked in two hours early at Dream Yacht Charters, we decided to grab a bite to eat at a cute restaurant overlooking the ocean while we waited for them to prepare the catamaran. Now, I’m used to getting mosquito bites, my body is familiar with that particular toxin. However, the no-see-um bites were new! We got hundreds of bites and scratched for 10 days!!

The fact that we caught mooring balls multiple times a day and docked a total of five times on this trip didn’t help. All of the pressure raises the adrenaline and when the adrenaline flows? Oh, we’re unstoppable! So, I can’t really tell you when I accidentally punched something and over-extended the knuckles on my left hand, and I certainly cannot tell you how I got all these bruises!

Upon returning from the trip, after all of the adrenaline had worn off, I noticed my shoulder was hurting. Kept still, it didn’t hurt, but it was painful to lift it above and behind my head. My range of motion was quite limited, and I certainly could not sleep on it. I waited to act on it for a couple of weeks to see if it would get better, but it did not. So, I went to urgent care where they determined that indeed, I had injured my shoulder. After the X-rays, they recommended physical therapy.

All of this is to say that we’ve been back from our trip for a month, and I am still recovering!

STATUS UPDATE: I had my follow-up eye appointment, and I am thankful to report that everything is well. My physical therapist says I have a little rotator cuff problem, will have PT for a few weeks. 👍👍👍

Thank you for reading! Leave a comment if you’ve ever come back from vacation feeling exhausted and beat up! Stay well, my friends!