Southern Byways

(Tales from the Road was delayed due to technical difficulties while traveling.)

“It’s a smooth ride,” captain Rex Walley, of the Nathaniel Bowditch docked at HarborWalk in Destin, Fla., assured me in his Aussie accent. “If you start to feel sick, let me know and I’ll let you sail the boat. That’ll take your mind off of it,” he smiled at me before returning to his pre-departure duties.

Okay, so I had some reservations about the Friday morning (10/3) sailing excursion. You see, typically when I see a boat, I automatically get sick. And that’s even before it leaves the dock. Yes, my inner ear problem is that bad, and I really didn’t want to look like an idiot in front of people. So, after a good pancake breakfast from Another Broken Egg and a dose of Dramamine, I felt somewhat ready. The air was cool, the water looked calm and the boat looked big (that’s as far as my nautical terminology goes.) It was time to board. And hoist the sails once we left the harbor.

Yes, hoist the sails (okay, another term.) Of course, I volunteered, thinking it will be fun and easy. Well, one out of the two isn’t bad. Once the task was completed, I learned a very important lesson: I have no upper arm strength at all.

The main point of our excursion, aside from smoothly (!) sailing on some of the most   beautiful water, was to spot dolphins. Now according to the crew, we stood a pretty good chance. After sailing around for awhile and enjoying the morning, we headed toward the harbor, and within minutes we saw them.

It was perhaps one of the most fascinating excursions that I’ve ever been on. The dolphins came up close to the boat. I never seen anything like it.

On the way back to the dock, I spoke with captain Wiley about his daycruises. He told me that one of the more popular ones during the summer was the seashell safari. He and his crew takes you out to a remote area where you can swim, snorkel and search for shells. Once back on board, you can enjoy your own picnic while the crew takes you to see dolphins. The seashell safari is about a three-hour adventure. His other cruise is a sunset one, and if you know about the Gulf, it is home to some fabulous sunsets. Imagine seeing one on the harbor in a boat. Also on the sunset cruise, the crew will take you to see dolphins.  They also offer private charters as well.

As for someone who had never done this before (I was the one who would back out at the last minute), because of the fear of um, sharing everything, I found the excursion to be enjoyable and fun. It was a great way to start the day.

photos: personal collection