Whew, this is done!
The first weekend is over!
That was long, intense and....Terrifying!!
We managed to stumble through our first day with another couple and our instructor on a Sonar. But let me tell ya, I spent Saturday night with a splitting headache and feeling as though I were on the boat still rocking away! While I didn't have seasickness, I felt queezy laying in bed!
We both felt like we had been thrown into the deep end, and couldn't swim. We are in way over our heads! But we are going to manage, right? It'll getbetter, right?
Sigh.
Sunday morning did not start well. What is a sailboat with no wind? A sitting and roasting duck! After lunch the wind picked up andwe were off to a turbulent start. Stronger waves and wind one person after the other heeled the boat with noideahow to right it, and our instructor wasn't talking. He was enjoying the ride and said there is nothing to worry about. None of us like heeling at all!!
Then it was my turn to skipper. It was stormy off shore, very rough for my comfort and I did not want to skipper. I was finally getting the commands for which direction to head when I heeled so badly that we took on water!!!! The intructor helped, my hubby released the mainsail and we righted our selves, but the damage had been done.
I was now terrified of every movement, I was shaking violently and couldn't stop crying, but I tried hard to keep it together. Twice more it started to heel and my panic and anxiety became too hard to control, then it heeled again!
After it was righted I lost it, I yelled stop the boat, the instructor said its okay, i'm right here with you, and i replied frantically that I needed to stop the boat. I was hyperventilating, shaking, and couldn't open my eyes. I did not want to see what was happening. Hubby took over the tiller but had to forcefully get my hand off because I was clutching it so hard and was paralyzed with fear that I couldn't move!
The crew went to work to reef the main sail, and slow theboat down while I sat there freaking out, trying to breathe!
I knew I needed to get it together to help, they were trying to do two jobs instead of onewhen they were learning how to do just one!!
I am shaking just writing this out to you!
I was able to get back into focus, slihtly to takeover controlling the mainsail, and help lowersail when approaching the marina. But I couldn't talk to anyone, unless I needed to answer a command. I wasn't embarrassed per se, but stuck in fear.
So, I get home to my family asking me if we were ok, because there had been a tornado warning. Can you believe it!! No wonder the wind was psychotic!!!
Both hubby and I have to decide if this is really what we want now. This was scarier and harder than we bargained for. Are we really cut out for this?
We will finish the last weekend, but I'm not so sure any more. Maybe a motor yacht would be a better choice for what we are looking for.
