Freshman Jennifer Gay spends two and a half years sailing the Caribbean.
By Taylor Maloch
Staff Writer
The ultimate vacation: a two-and-a-half-year sailing adventure to some of the tropical islands in the Atlantic. Northwood freshman Jennifer Gay and her family returned last spring from sailing to the Caribbean, where she had been for the past two-and-a-half years.
“My dad had always wanted to go on a boat trip, so one day he came home and told us that he had taken a leave of absence from work and we were going on a vacation,” Gay said.
Gay was surprised by the announcement.
“I had no idea we were going to go [on the trip, but] my mom knew that my dad was going to want to do this eventually,” Gay said.
The family owns a boat called OPUS and left on Election Day in November 2008, when Gay was in sixth grade. The trip began in Oriental, NC, before the family sailed south to visit the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, the Caribbean and the Dominican Republic.
“[Before the trip] I had never been out of the United States; the farthest place I [had] traveled was Minnesota,” Gay said.
Living on a boat was a different lifestyle for Gay. She shared a room with her parents, was homeschooled and as an only child, got a lot of attention. When OPUS stopped at a dock or marina, Gay’s family visited with other traveling families.
The families they met also lived on boats, but were from different backgrounds. Gay met people from Canada, Australia, Scotland and multiple countries in between. Because Gay is an only child, she was happy to play with any kid she could.
“Your best friend could be a five-year-old because it didn’t matter how old they were, as long as they were kids,” Gay said.
Even though the Gay family enjoyed sailing, there were plenty of things to do off the boat as well. They participated in many activities such as swimming, kayaking, fishing and snorkeling. On shore the family enjoyed hiking, visiting islands, meeting new people and shopping at nearby stores.
“There were a lot of crazy experiences; one time, when we were in Grenada, we went to this spot where they had a lot of monkeys. If they were on the fence and you stood with your back to them they would jump on your head,” Gay said.
Sometimes things went wrong on OPUS, like when boat parts needed to be replaced or items fell into the ocean. When these things happened the family would dock and wait for replacement parts. The things they lost could be found washed up on the shore later.
While off the coast of Grenada, the boat encountered a hurricane and Gay’s family prepared for the worst.
“We tied the boat up in the mangrove trees; it’s safer and doesn’t hit you as bad because the mangroves block the storm,” Gay explained.
Although Gay said she had fun on the trip, there were also some things over the past two-and-a-half years that she did not enjoy as much.
“[My least favorite part was] school,” Gay said. “But I also went three months without playing with [other] kids.”
Finally, last April, the Gay family returned to the States.
Gay said she was glad to be home and see her family, and although she was happy to see her old friends again, she said she still emails the friends she met on the trip.
“I don’t really miss the boat that much because it is nice to have my own room [again]. Before, I just had a bed, now I have electricity, water and steady Internet,” Gay said.
After a break from the water, the Gay family may have another sailing vacation in their future.
“My dad wants to go back, but my mom doesn’t yet,” Gay said.
“I kind of want to go back sometimes, but other times I don’t.”