cjy (09/16/82)
Yes, I have been on a Windjammer cruise and found it to be a really pleasant experience. Most of the time you wander around in your swim- suit and relax. You may be asked to stand a wheel watch or occasionally handle a line ( steer the ship or pull a rope for you non-nautical types ), but if you are comfortable, you may decline. The trip I was on covered mostly uninhabited islands in the Bahamas and was two weeks in length. Snorkeling, eating, drinking, sunbathing, and swimming comprise most of the day's activities. Once in a while, we hit some place that had people on it and then we spent our time sightseeing. If we hit an uninhabited island and the cook felt adventurous, we got a shore lunch or dinner ( kind of like a picnic on a beach ). Although the ship I was on was quite comfortable, many people opted for sleeping up on deck under a sky full of stars. The only sounds heard at night were the luffing of the sails, the water slipping easily by the hull, and the distant hum of the deisel generator. We made friends with a couple from Grand Rapids, Mich. and see them quite frequently even though it has been about ten years since we took the cruise together. Perhaps if you could take the cruise with some friends you might be able to really enjoy yourself right away and not take time to make new aquaintances. I would not hesitate to take this trip again and I hope that I have whetted your appetite for a really fun vacation. The only drawback that I can think of is that this is the ocean you are swimming in and you must constantly keep in mind that not all things that you find there are necessarily friendly. However, if you leave things alone, they will leave you alone. In the Bahamas the sharks are really well fed and unless you are spearfishing they normally won't be where you are. ( They are attracted by the "smell" of blood in the water ) One more thing, before I forget, and that is to make SURE you take along a lot of suntan and sunBLOCK lotion. The reason for this is that the air down there is quite unpoluted and consequenty, you really tan FAST! No matter how well you tan, you better take something to stop tanning and maybe you better take something as well to take care of sunburn pain ( in case you forget to put on a sunblock lotion). Have Fun! Chuck Young at ....ihps3!ihuxi!cjy