2018 was a year to remember for better or worse but it still needed my best shot for a happy ending.  So, we lined up 4 girls and booked the Start Yachting course with Langebaan based Atlantic Yachting.  It was my West Coast sister’s idea and she organised the logistics. On a sunny Thursday morning we reported to the Mykonos Marina with clothes, food, drink and charged mobile phones – not so much to communicate but rather to take plenty of pictures of our yachting adventure.

Christie Joubert was our yachting instructor and after we put on our Atlantic Yachting branded caps we were taught the basics of a yacht’s layout. From the classroom we moved onboard the 10 meter long Paso Paso for the real test. Port and Starboard were clearly marked with red and green ropes and the rest was history.  We started opening the sails and pulled in the ropes.  Two days passed in a flash.  A day on the water between Langebaan and Saldanha was followed by an anchorage in Kraalbraai.  With an open hatch we fell asleep with the stars guarding.  The next morning we crossed the channel to the Langebaan Yacht Club with open sails and navigated the changing of the tides.  The ablutions at the yacht club were a luxury and we recharged with strong coffee and toasties before heading for the open seas between Jutten and Malgas Islands.  The ride got rough but on the up side we saw a sun fish and dolphins before heading for the calm waters of Saldanha Bay.  Then it was time to head back to base.  We’ve learnt as much as we could on the Start Yachting Course and were found competent enough to receive the Royal Yachting Association’s certificate.  It was a great two days and a the start to my yachting adventures. We celebrated our achievement with a swim amongst the yachts in the marina. A tradition to be repeated when we do the 5day course.