Destination Paradise

It doesn't have to be all about racing. There are plenty of cruising opportunities in the virtual waters. It is perfectly possible to sail for hours and never see the same water twice. I've done that a couple of times, and since the summer is near, it is cruising time.

Heading south from Tradewinds

Two things are really important for cruising. Some would say three, but let's start with the first. You need a great crew. No matter how big the boat, you will be close together for an extended period of time, so pick your crew wisely. I was so lucky as to meet Marin on the pier; He was looking for a cruise too. Great guy. Knows his sailing. Sweet too...

Rounding Pslande

The second thing you need is a great boat. In RL you'd probably go for a 40-footer or something. In a virtual world, you'd go for a stable and fun boat. We had no doubts. The Flying Fizz simply provides the best and the most realistic team sailing experience available. So off we went; Wind, team sailing, waves, current, the works, and...

Entering Blake

Here we are, entering the Blake Sea. Clear blue sky and absolutely nothing on the horizon. Kinda like coming out of an archipelago, entering open sea. That's when the third thing comes in: Where to go?! You need a great destination, but we skipped that. True cruising means exploring. It means not knowing where you might end up. Going with the flow. Airflow that is...

Spyglass in the back

Today the wind was sending us south. We talked about cruising in RL, and we easily agreed that we wanted to see some palms and sandy beaches; Usually that means heading south. There is no reason it should be true in a virtual world, but hey... there is no reason why it shouldn't be true either. Anyway, it's about the sailing, not the destination... 

Passing Sharp-Tooth Isle

I checked the charts; Can't see any palms on the charts, but there is a pretty nice sailing trip to some southernly - and to me rather unexplored - waters. That ended up as the plan... The Great Plan, hehe. Going somewhere as far away as possible, not knowing what to expect. Soon after that, we saw the majestic Sharp-Tooth Isle on the horizon. 

Sharp-Tooth in the back

We passed it on a south-easterly course... Rather small waves, lovely breeze; Champagne conditions. Marin mostly in the trapez; Me murmuring about those classic Digestives, - and that's when that ticklering sensation in the stomach started. The excitement! We didn't know what we would see next. Unexplored waters ahead. This is cruising...

To be continued...

Continue to Destination Paradise II.