Once upon a time, a boy and a girl received an invitation to go sailing in a far away place.  Little did they know that they were going to a sailor’s paradise.  Their lives would never be the same.

Imagine this situation if you would.  One day in late November, you are sitting at your desk in downtown Toronto, looking out the window at the snowy, dreary, winter Toronto sky, when all of a sudden the phone rings.  On the other end of the phone is the familiar voice of a friendly, but mysterious character known to most people simply as “Shmeeber”.  He talks for a while about the weather, then it happens, an invitation to join him and two other sailors on a luxurious journey, hopping through the Grenadine Islands on his yacht.  Immediately, you drift away with images of white sandy beaches and crystal blue water racing through your mind.  As reality kicks back in, Shmeeber asks for a response.  Your reply, “I’ll call you right back”.

You hang up the phone and begin to prepare your sales pitch to your wife, thinking how and what do I say?  Luckily, by the time you are half way through the “it’s a 42 foot cruising sailing yacht anchored in St. Vincent,” she says: “I’ll start packing tonight, when do we leave?”  Ah, success!  Let the wondrous journey begin.

Needless to say, a two-week trip island-hopping in The Grenadines requires careful planning.  Luckily for us, our skipper/boat owner Shmeeber (a.k.a. Rob Charuk) had completed the journey on numerous occasions and was able to simplify the entire planning process.  As such, the planning session was really a delightful dinner party ---- a  seafood fest.  Hundreds of steamed mussels, enough crab to feed a football team, and what seemed like cases of wine later, we were all set.  Little did we know what really awaited us.  Ah yes, ignorance is bliss.

As two of the lucky passengers, our real challenge boiled down to ensuring that we pack all of our clothes into one small gym bag per person (traveling light on a yacht is essential).  The other couple traveling with us, Dave and Julie, were faced with the same challenge.  Let’s just say that two small gym bags was somewhat optimistic for some of us.  In any event, it was mid-February and freezing outside.  We packed our 8 T-shirts, 2 pairs of shorts, two bathing suits and sunglasses – and well, there were a few more essentials - a couple more bathing suits, a few more T-shirts etc. Nevertheless, in a flash, we were packed and ready.  There was no turning back, no chance to change one’s mind.  We were leaving and thrilled about it.