Smooth sailing awaits you

Living on an island city affords one a peaceful time by the sea. But why be content sitting on the shore when you can actually enjoy a tranquil time at sea? Well, this is not to suggest that you cannonball into the blue brilliance of the Arabian Sea. Instead, you can sit inside a plush sailboat and let the wind whip through your hair as you cruise away from the city and all its chaos.

Thanks to the growing interest in water sports and the availability of resources, sailing is rapidly emerging as the ideal outdoor activity to take up during summer. And to help you experience it better, tailor-made sailing workshops are teaching participants how to sail a boat, among other things.

According to Shannon Fernandes, co-founder of Vagabond Experiences — who keeps organising workshops to teach people sailing basics — while sailing keeps one close to the city, it allows one to get away from the chaos.

“The instructor teaches you how to work on the rudder, to steer the boat, setting up sails, working the ropes in terms of how to tighten and loosen the sails and the different parts of the boat,” says Shannon.

And having shifted their workshop to sunset sailing, he says it is a completely different experience in itself.

For sailing enthusiast, Cyrus Heerjee, the workshop helps you experience and discover the wonderful things nature has to offer. “You are in an environment that is peaceful, compared to any other spot in the city. It is very de-stressing; plus, you are using only nature’s wind and tide to move your boat along. So you get to learn better about winds, tides and currents,” says the 69-year-old who also teaches sailing.

But for Anthony DCosta, another sailing enthusiast, it is an expensive activity and requires dedication.

Talking about the kind of participation, Shannon says age is not a barrier when it comes to something as adventurous as this. “We have children from the age of 10 to adults between the ages of 40 and 50 years signing up for the workshop. We get all kinds of people because, one, it is in the city and secondly, the time commitment is very less,” he laughs.

But is sailing for everyone, even those who are fastidious about safety? “Yes, we have safety measures in place. The sailboat is equipped with life jackets and a first-aid kit. If it’s something drastic or the person falls sick, we have an on-call ferry to take back the boat or the person,” adds Shannon.

Anthony vouches that these activities are helpful and one must try them.  “They absolutely help one learn so much about a sport otherwise not so common in India.” he concludes.