Back in September 2019, our friend’s Bryan and Valerie invited us on an afternoon of yachting that they won in a charity auction. Our friend’s Greg and Susan were also invited. The six of us definitely equal trouble!

I’ve been on many different types of boats, but this was my first time on a yacht.

It was a warm, early fall day in Long Beach, California, where we set off from the marina for a three hour tour. You’re welcome for getting the Gilligan’s Island theme stuck in your head!

Our vessel was the Connemara.

I don’t remember the names of the two co-captains/ co-owners, but they were very welcoming and even prepared a picnic style lunch for us. Sub sandwiches for the win!

We sailed past the iconic Queen Mary, which I have had the pleasure of visiting many times. It’s truly a historic landmark in Los Angeles.

Here we all are enjoying the salty air and sparkling sunshine.

A few shots of the yacht, including the interiors.

Our day was lovely and relaxing, until the wind picked up and the yacht leaned so dramatically that I was certain that we were going to capsize.

We did not capsize, but it was tense for about twenty minutes.

We headed back as the sun was starting to set.

Back at the marina.

We ended our day with cocktails at the Shoreline Yacht Club, which is for exclusive use by members of the club, so it was a special experience to be guests of our captains. The drinks were strong and we drank too many!

We had a beautiful day on the ocean. A big thanks to Val and Bryan for including us in this experience. It was a bit extra special, because just over a month later, we would move to Colorado, far away from my beloved Pacific Ocean.