Recently our friend Traci joined us as a guest on board Sava for her first time on a sailboat. We broke her in with a tough trip! Her sovereign sail was one of the region’s most notorious crossings: The Mona Passage.
In addition to sailing from Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico, Traci continued with us between ports and over land.
For someone who had never been on a boat, to go through what she did, Traci was a trooper. She got sick and didn’t complain, and helped any way she could, even bringing up the anchor on her own by the end of the week.
We have new guests joining us today, and hope more of you spend time on Sava. Find out what Traci thought of her new experience and her recommendations to those planning to be a guest on board Sava, or any boat!
What Surprised You The Most?
I’ve always envisioned sailing to be more of an individual adventure (well, amongst the crew on boat). Little did I know about the large community can be built during voyages and how tight knit and supportive other boats can be. Hearing other boats regularly checking in during the overnight sail was comforting and seeing Brian and Melinda excited to meet up with their friends at ports made the experience all the more better.
What Would You Have Brought With You/Recommend People Bring?
Waterproof flip flops. Birkenstocks were my footwear of choice (notoriously a no-no around water as it seeps into the cork) and not the best.
A much much much smaller suitcase / backpack. I had just broken my smaller suitcase and brought my comically large 28” suitcase. While Sava was able to accommodate it, I DEFINITELY overpacked and did not need to take up that much space.
Side note: These are my favorite shoes and I wear them constantly – perfect for the dinghy, beaches, and hikes. Brian just bought a pair for himself!
What Was Your Favorite Part Of Being A Guest On Board Sava?
Before I discovered I could be sunburnt, I would have said sitting on the bow during the day. After being sunburnt, I quite enjoyed sleeping on the deck under the stars and cuddling with Domino.
Also, waking up to see pelicans landing on the water was pretty neat!
Least Favorite?
I underestimated the motion of the ocean. Motion sickness. I brought some motion sickness I underestimated the motion of the ocean patches which helped, but I wish I brought some more Ginger Gravol (Melinda kindly supplied some, but bring more if you’re visiting from Canada!). The motion sickness pills do leave you very dry mouthed.
What Should We Have Told You Before You Came?
Bring Clamato juice. It is a rarity down south.
Brush up on my Spanish! The locals were all friendly but I wish I could communicate better with them.
The Boat Guest book as a prerequisite – that had helpful etiquette and boat facts which were interesting to learn
Side note: Traci is referring to A Guest Afloat, which I bought back in the 90s but still holds up today. It includes tips on what to bring and do on a boat, like “don’t wear shoes with black soles,” boating terminology and how a sailboat works.
Sava is a tight space and motion sickness is a real problem. We’re happy to have friends like Traci embrace the challenges and enjoy the fun parts like spending time with other cruisers and exploring new islands.
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