Fishtales Magazine: A Sailfish Point Publication - Magazine - Page 13
agent. It is a sailboat part. I was very stressed that I would not be able to
take it on the 昀氀ight, but he told me to proceed.
Heather: Jason, you spent 昀椀ve years planning this trip and 29 days alone at
sea covering 4,200 nautical miles. Was it worth it?
Jason: The crossing was like being teleported to 13th-century England—it
was wet, the food was horrible, and there was a constant chance of death.
Inexplicably, I 昀椀nd myself missing it. I have tried in this conversation and in
my speech at the club to give a glimpse of the experience, but I think my
reaction is deeply personal. A professional sailor would consider my trip
a day at work. Sometimes I like to think back to the trip and remember
that feeling of isolation and self-reliance. I chuckle to myself, “what was I
thinking to undertake that voyage?” I am not an adventurer but that sure
was an adventure.
HT: Gail, you were waiting at Sail昀椀sh Point for the big arrival. What was that
scene like?
Gail: It was incredible. We had a boat parade. A large sport昀椀sh vessel full of
friends intercepted him three miles out. As he motored into the St. Lucie
Inlet, more Sail昀椀sh boats joined in until it became a large welcome 昀氀otilla,
blowing their horns. The last twenty-four hours were predicted to be easy
but it was full of ups and downs as the weather almost forced Jason to West
Palm Beach. I was getting many texts about arrival times but I knew Jason
and Cyclops were trying their best to arrive on time. In the end, he was
only about an hour late. It was overwhelming.
Heather: Jason what is your memory of the Sail昀椀sh Point arrival?
Jason: I’ll never forget it. I saw my family waving from our balcony, golfers
cheering from the 14th and 3rd greens, a party at the 2800 building to
watch my arrival and homeowners on the inlet were waving American 昀氀ags.
The warmest of welcomes. I glided into the slip to the sound of “Celebrate”
welcoming me from a house on the marina. After 31 days at sea, I ignored
the dock lines to 昀椀nd Gail for a hug. The pressure of the trip was over. The
dock was crowded with friends and neighbors. I sent an email almost every
day to a group of friends at Sail昀椀sh. Some of my friends then forwarded the
message on, expanding the group to a large quantity of Sail昀椀shians. Is that
the proper demonym? During the crossing, I received many encouraging
notes from Sail昀椀sh Point neighbors and it helped maintain my enthusiasm.
Thank you. My welcome event demonstrates that the geography of Sail昀椀sh
Point is special but the residents are a rare type of great people. For several
weeks after my arrival, I enjoyed my 15 minutes of fame and told and retold
my stories. Anyone who wants to swap sea stories, please 昀氀ag me down.
