Christmas Sails
Do you dream of giving it all up and disappearing over the horizon? Nicola Rodriguez, author of Sail Away, did exactly that with her husband John and their kids. She shares her experience and well honed advice in the Wiley Nautical book Sail Away. In this article she shares her experiences of Christmas afloat.
Learn more about the book Sail Away and read a sample chapter
During our cruising years we experienced the Christmas season in the West Indies – Antigua and St Lucia, Gibraltar, Palma de Mallorca (Spain), Fort Lauderdale in Florida, Marathon in the Florida Keys and at sea en route to Nassau in the Bahamas.
At Christmas time some are still sailing across the Atlantic because the easterly winds are best, or possibly because their departure from the Canaries was delayed. One year a family sailed into the Grenadines on Christmas Eve in time to join a dinghy drift singing carols. (Everyone joins their dinghy together in one long line, and drifts, a floating gathering.)
Our first cruising Christmas was anchored in English Harbour, Antigua where we joined other jolly sailors celebrating their Atlantic crossing drinking champagne around the flag pole. Christmas lunch was a picnic on the beach, sandy sandwiches and a swim in an idyllic setting, what a day.
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Above: Nicola en route from Marathon Key to Nassau, crossing the Bahama Banks. Decorating Moonshine our Westerly Corsair.
One of the most unexpectedly magical Christmas’ was at sea on Christmas Eve sailing from Marathon Key off Florida to Nassau. We refer to it as “200 Miles to Christmas.”
In 2007 we wintered in Palma de Mallorca and by now had very young children. A stuffed Father Christmas was hauled up the mast with the present list. Despite the boys concerns Father Christmas found us, and left the presents in the cockpit
Two weeks after Christmas during the Festival of the Three Kings, we were thrilled when the three Kings sailed into Palma Harbour, past our pontoon en route to parade around the city.
Every year from St Lucia to Fort Lauderdale, Father Christmas has been sent up the mast.
One of the most spectacular Christmas’ was in Florida. Having worked our way south along the Intracoastal Waterway from New York to Fort Lauderdale, we secured a “front row” mooring in Las Olas Marina for the Winterfest, a Boat Parade during which dozens of boats dressed in Christmas best with booming music motored passed.
Whether wintering in Spain, Turkey, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean, the Bahamas, or the UK, here’s wishing everyone joy and a fair wind for the sail into Christmas and New Year.
Sail Away is publishing this month. Click here to find out more information on pre-ordering...
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