Summer Cruise

Reality hit as soon as I stepped onto the shaky dock: I was so excited about going on this boat cruise since the beginning of summer that I’d forgotten I get motion sickness.

Luckily, group managing editor Eileen Murphy had come prepared with anti-puke pills, which made the three-hour cruise along the East and Hudson Rivers on PMY’s Cranchi Atlantique 50 named Office Ours so enjoyable. The boat is beautiful and elegant, with cream-colored leather seats in the saloon and aft deck, where I spent most of my time indulging in the breeze while the rest of the gang (or crew) enjoyed the view from every vicinity of the boat. I snapped pictures of practically everything we passed—the Statue of Liberty, the Mayor's mansion hidden behind bushes, which publisher Dennis O'Neill pointed out to me, and five bridges, these being Brooklyn, Williamsburg, Manhattan, Queensborough, and George Washington. I can totally see how being out on the water in a luxurious boat can become an addiction; it’s one of the most relaxing things I’ve experienced, and I can’t wait to do it again!

Boating "Baby" Seeks Advice

Do you remember your first time on a boat? Mine happened when I was 11, snorkeling in Cancun. I spent a whole five minutes on the tiny thing before I was instructed to jump into the water to see the fishies. So the boat itself didn’t matter; we used it as if it were a U-Haul. And even now I know nothing about boats, except that they’re “designed to float on, and promote transport over, water.” (That’s what Wikipedia says.) I’m even fascinated by their ability to stay afloat (seriously, isn’t it astonishing that a massive 150-footer doesn’t sink, but a penny does?).

In any case, I’m new to the paradoxical world of boats, but I hope the question mark I have in my head won’t be there for long. I’m an editorial intern for Power & Motoryacht this summer, and I made a promise to myself that I’ll “dive into” this area of interest for the roughly two months that I’m here (pardon the cheesy, please).

I’m glad that I have an opportunity to be a sponge right now and absorb anything and everything I can about marine life. How many times do you get to be a sponge in life and not get made fun of (unless you’re SpongeBob Squarepants)? Anyways, I’m excited to be here, especially because the very nice people at Power & Motoryacht are taking me out on the company boat, a Cranchi Atlantique 50 christened Office Ours, at the end of July. I want to pretend that my first time on a boat will be then, and I want it to be special.

What was your first time like? Please share, and don’t be afraid to divulge the intimate details, because I know, just from being here for two short weeks, that the relationship avid boaters have with their significant boats is sacred, their first time aboard memorable, and their appetite for more time with their love insatiable.