Everyone has a fantasy of a life they dream of living....I'd have to say one of my fantasy lives would be one in which I was rich enough to sail the seas in some luxurious yacht. Now, I don't mean a cruise ship.....I have no interest in those. I mean a schooner with cabins below and big beautiful pristine sails like the ones above. While that is certainly as far from reality as it gets, I can easily get a taste of that life for a couple of hours when I step aboard the Madeleine, a 72-foot sailing schooner in Newport, RI....which is exactly what I did last week. This was my second time on the Madeleine and this time was really special because I got to experience it with my daughter, son-in-law and granddaughters. If you haven't sailed on a schooner before, I hope today's post encourages you to do so soon.
The schooner Madeleine was built in 1991 to replicate 19th century style with 20th century comforts and conveniences. Built of wood and designed to carry passengers safely and comfortably, this ship is Coast Guard approved to carry up to 49 passengers. The only thing more beautiful than the ship itself is the view you see as you cruise along the Newport coastline.
On this visit to Newport we decided to take the Sunset Cruise which included complimentary champagne and beer........not just one glass, but as much as you wanted. Of course, that is dependent on the good behavior of the passengers. No one wants a disorderly drunk aboard. We're lightweights when it comes to alcohol so we stopped after just one. The Madeleine cruises range from 60-90+ minutes, but ours ran about two hours. We were fortunate to have picked a perfect evening for our cruise weather-wise and although the day was warm, once we were out on open waters and the sun began to set, it got a bit chilly. Not to worry.....our hospitable and friendly crew were on hand to pass out blankets for everyone.
Speaking of crew.....the Madeleine's crew of three is always top notch. The daytime cruises are narrated, pointing out all the sights along the coast, but the sunset cruise is meant more for relaxing so the crew mostly answered questions from the passengers, poured champagne and managed the navigation of the boat. That gave passengers the opportunity to just sit back, sip champagne and soak up the perfect atmosphere as we watched the sun lower in the evening sky. Towards the end of the cruise, the junior passengers had an opportunity to pilot the ship (with close supervision, of course).
The Madeleine is just a gorgeous piece of sailing equipment, built right here in Albany, NY.
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Popping the cork of the champagne! |
You'll enjoy meeting other boats along your cruise.....
Here's the Rum Runner II, another popular cruise boat (below).
and this car carrier ship......
And eventually....all good things must come to an end....
Lowering the sails after an amazing evening!
If you get to Newport, be sure to take advantage of the many opportunities to see Newport from the water. Whether you cruise the Madeleine, the Rum Runner II, the Amazing Grace, or one of the many others, like the next schooner on my wish list..... the Aquidneck......you'll love every minute. I promise if you do, you'll fantasize about being able to spend your days cruising around the world too, or at the very least - Narragansett Bay! Links for some of the cruise opportunities are listed at the end of this post as well as previous posts about Newport and it's many attractions. Thanks for reading and come back soon to Life As I See It.
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The Aquidneck |
Previous posts on Newport:
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Beautiful photos! I want to go sailing someday!
ReplyDeleteThank you Lara! It's an amazing experience!
ReplyDeleteLast night we were walking on the beach and someone was taking off in their sailboat and I said to my husband, I want to do that! Thanks for sharing your adventure! :)
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Kim! It's an exhillerating experience, especially when someone else is in control and you can just sit back and enjoy!
ReplyDeleteWhat great photography! I would LOVE to go sailing someday! It sounds like it would be so much fun!
ReplyDeleteThanks Mandee! It's sooooo much fun!
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing experience! I have never been sailing before.
ReplyDeleteYou'd love it!
Deletebeautiful photos and looks like a blast! I would love to enjoy some champaign on that ship too!! Just followed you GFC from the Facebook group!
ReplyDelete