EDITOR’S LETTER
A boat is a mode of transportation, but the experiences created on board remind us that being on the water is the best part of the trip.
It was a rainy morning off savona, italy, but i didn’t care. The water’s rich blue-green hue seemed even more intoxicating contrasted against the dark, nearly black sky. I was in the master stateroom belowdecks watching that water pass by the hull, rain bouncing off the sea’s surface like a gaggle of kids on a trampoline. I was completely present in the sublime moment. ¶ It’s a rare thing to feel that way. For me, it happens most often on the water. And it’s a feeling that I’m happy to chase. ¶ Sometimes, it takes some doing to get there. I took a trip Down Under once that was a Homer-worthy odyssey: New York to California. California to New Zealand. New Zealand to Australia. After landing in Brisbane, I went directly to the shipyard and spent a day watching a 96-footer being built. The near delirium of 30 hours of travel was taking hold when the chance presented itself to run Hull No. 1 of this 96 series across Moreton Bay to Tangalooma Island. As someone who never says no to a boat ride, I headed out in the late afternoon. ¶ A helicopter soon arrived off the island for sunset pictures of this supersize express cruiser. Drifting in the dark, I took a moment to look at the southern
Soon, the sky seemed to fill with stars, and a light show followed. One shooting star streaked across the horizon. Then another.
sky, a constellation-filled tapestry that was very different from the one I’m used to looking at in the Northern Hemisphere. It was mesmerizing. The weariness of global travel melted away. ¶ Closer to home, an unexpected challenge once allowed for a similarly magical on-the-water moment. Our five-man crew was drifting 100 miles offshore of Long Island, New York, fishing for tuna when the boat went dark. As my brother, an electronics guru, worked by flashlight to trace the issue, we kept fishing. Soon, the sky seemed to fill with stars, and a light show followed. One shooting star streaked across the horizon. Then another. Over the course of an hour, we saw a few more fly overhead. I became more interested in watching nature’s light display than fishing. We all got lost in the spectacle. ¶ Aren’t these the kinds of moments that being on a boat is all about? Finding that solace, that deep breath. Boats can take you to amazing places and create incredible experiences, but for me, some of the best moments are the ones in between here and there. They’re the ones that you don’t search for—they appear. ¶ It’s prime time for boating across America right now, and hopefully you’ll get an in-between moment to look beyond. To look up, to savor, to breathe.