Landlubbers on Board!

We had been trying to get our next set of guests to come sailing with us since back when we had Seabbatical, but were never able to make it happen. But now it was finally happening - the Kretschmers were coming on board! Nancy and Andy and two of their three children, Ted and Grace, were on their way. They had planned a two week trip to Spain and after three days of “turbo touring” in Barcelona, where headed to Majorca for 5 days of fun in the sun and a dose of cruising. Nancy and Grace have been friends with Jan for years as all of them have had horses at Foxcroft Farm. Craig and Andy would see each other at barn parties and other gatherings and enjoyed each other’s company. Andy, an emergency Doc, has also advised us on what to include in the way of medical supplies on board both Seabbatical and Lone Star. We had met Ted only a couple of times and were looking forward to getting to know him better. While we were excited and looking forward to their arrival, we were also anxiously hopeful they would enjoy their time on board as they had never been sailing.

They arrived mid afternoon June 27 and before boarding we issued their first order of the week – shoes off when on board! Once that order was dutifully followed all were granted permission to board Lone Star.



After a tour of the boat, lunch on board and stowing clothes and luggage it was off for dingy tours of the Palma Harbor. Palma is home to some truly amazing what we call “Gold Lame” boats. Definitely makes you feel like a little fish surrounded by giant whales.

For the next 3 days we all enjoyed great sailing conditions; the motor was rarely used other entering and exiting and the auto pilot got a well deserved rest. The next morning, after a brief safety session, we were off to our first stop. After exiting the harbor, Jan turned the helm over to Ted. Craig was definitely in his element – teaching folks how to sail. While Ted was on the helm, Grace was helping with tacking, Nancy was taking pictures and Andy was getting into relaxation mode on what we call “Lone Star Beach” (area of the boat behind the cockpit). Our worries over whether they would have a good time were rapidly diminishing. Ted was a natural at the helm and only reluctantly turned it over to Grace who also did a great job. After a four hour sail we dropped anchor in Calla Porto Vells, a beautiful cove with crystal clear waters, three beaches, and caves to explore.




After playing in the Mediterranean waters, exploring the caves which had a shrine dating back to Phoenician times, and a great steak dinner on board all turned in. Ted in fact, slept topside. Our next stop was the port of Andratix, where we took a slip at the yacht club. Along the way Ted once again did a masterful job at the helm, while Grace plugged in her iPod and we got a much needed break from our music. In addition to artists we had never heard of, we were amazed and thrilled to find out both Grace and Ted are huge Beatle fans. The afternoon was spent strolling the harbor and enjoying the yacht club pool. The evening activities included a dinner out at one of the restaurants along the harbor and an intense game of triominos back on board. On the final day of sailing we finally got both Nancy and Andy to take a turn at the helm.
Good job guys! For our final day together sightseeing was on the agenda. We took the narrow gauge railroad from Palma through the interior of the island to the town of Soller, one of the many places claiming to be the birth place of Christopher Columbus. Back in Palma all of us except one, Craig elected for a siesta, toured the Palma Cathedral.

The next day we said a sad farewell to our newly christened cruisers. It was great being together and introducing the Kretschmers to cruising. We know all had a good time and Ted, in particular, could be easily swayed to run away to the sea. We hope to see them back on board.