I went on a sailing trip some years back with the moving on project. Moving On: it’s a place for recovering addicts. A place where like - minded people are all in the same boat, (no pun intended). The Moving On project runs courses to help addicts combat their addictive behaviour.
I am doing a smart recovery course with the Moving On project at the moment. The Moving On project took us out in partnership with the Princes Trust. It was myself along with two other girls and three boys, all from the Greenock area. We also had two addiction workers and the skipper and his first mate who actually turned out to be his wife. So we had 10 people in total.
We all met up at the Moving On building and we all jumped in the van and headed over to the dock. There we met up with the skipper and the first mate. We loaded up the yacht with all the supplies we would need for our trip. Then, well you know how kids are - the first thing we all did was head to the sleeping quarters so we could pick out what bunk we wanted. The race was on, bingo I win, TOP BUNK YEE HA!
We sat around the table and the skipper showed us what the plan was, how many miles per day and what islands we wanted to visit. So we all got suited and booted and we donned our waterproofs, life jackets too. We left Greenock dock at 2.30pm. We got ourselves into two teams, team A and team B. The first team would man the sails and the other team would be below deck setting up the supper. They prepared all the meals we would be eating. I was with team A so I was up first up to man the sails. The view of Greenock was out of this world and the feeling of sailing these waters which were sailed by the Romans and even the Vikings. I felt as if I was a part of something, something that before that day was hidden from me. I felt as if my troubles were pretty childish, I felt I was destined for something good, something bigger than all the shit I thought was going to be the end of me.
We ended up mooring in a little marina. I can't remember the name of it though. We all got permission to go ashore for a wee walk. I can still remember the sky that night, it was a pure vibrant red purple colour. I had never seen a sky like that before or since for that matter (BEAUTIFUL).
That night most of us sat around the table below playing cards while I sat up top talking with the skipper. We just sat and spoke about life in general and the skipper told me something very interesting.
You see I’ve got a little problem with swimming now, it’s not that I can’t swim it’s just I’m terrified of the unknown, not knowing what’s lurking under my feet that’s my problem. Anyway the skipper told me something interesting he told me that because of my medication, if we capsized the skipper would have to save me first. It is all down to my heart you see because of my meds my heart rate would drop dramatically before anyone else - RESULT cheers heart at least I know I’ll be saved!
The funny thing about sailing is a normal boat stays balanced but on a yacht it lies on its side, like your arse is in the yacht but the water is up to your bloody face, I’ve never done anything like it before or since for that matter. What an experience I can tell you! Oh and the night sailing don’t get me started I’ll tell you about that in just a sec.
The next day passed like a dream, hard work but rewording nonetheless. The third there was some really bad weather, swells the size of a double decker bus. I was tasked with hoisting the sails and my hands were burning trying to hoist the bloody thing on my own, straight up no help whatsoever. The skipper told us we all did great and we did well to get through it. We all did well holding it together.
That night we did the night sailing and I got to steer the 63 foot yacht on my own. What a rush taking control of that 63 foot monster, experience of a lifetime. It should definitely be on anyone’s bucket list.
The next day I had to leave as I had a panel for my kids. It took me a bus, a train and a taxi to get back to Greenock. I knew what time they were due back in to Greenock at so I went in to Morrisons as it was straight across the street from the dock. I got cakes and doughnuts and I just got their as the yacht was landing. I went aboard and we had a wee cuppa and I thanked everyone for such a great time as it was a really good trip. The trip was a real adventure for a boy from Greenock. What an experience and one thing ticked off the old bucket list (RESULT).
The trip of a lifetime well for someone like me anyway.
Not a day goes by when I don’t remember out there in the big old open sea with the wind blowing through our going-baldy heads, sitting on a yacht with a bunch of reprobates singing Koombaya with addiction on our plates.