Take a romantic one-night trip with a catamaran. It is well worth it.

Our travels take us across many great oceans. We even visit beautiful seaside cities and towns. We on occasion even get to feel the salt air hitting our tortured city skin whilst sitting comfortably under the shade sipping a well deserved cocktail drink. But there has never been a time when we have been invited to sail the high seas.

Yes, sailing! This was the way the world was discovered and conquered before flight was possible. Using the wind to move a flotation device, sailing, was the only way to travel across great oceans before planes were invented.

We were invited to take an overnight sail in Phuket and the thought of living a night on a boat seemed exciting at first and then all the memories of movies where monsters from the sea and shark attacks started filling our over imaginative mind.

Anyway, it was an experience not-to-be missed and we went off to Phuket, Thailand. Our land point was the Everson Hotel.

We left on the first morning flight and arrived at the hotel just before lunch. After a quick meal, we were on the sail boat. It was a catamaran built in Thailand by an Australian boat builder with an Australian captain and Thai crew. A 15 minute briefing and a tour of the boat and we were ready to cast the lines and get this sail boat going.

Sails Away

Few islands can boast of such an abundance of sandy beaches and clear waters as Phuket. The winding coastal roads along the west coast of this 540-square-km island offer stunning views and easy access to some of the world’s finest beaches.

The usual visitor to Phuket will sample the frenetic pace of Patong or find solitude on a remote stretch of sand in the north; Phuket beaches have it all for the sun seeker.

The monsoon rains of May-October were at its feverish pace and so we were warned of possible rough waters. But with a catamaran, there was little to be worried and we were after all, not venturing into open seas. The first thing we did on the boat was to remove our shoes and dip our feet in the ocean for better ‘traction’ when moving around the boat.

Our gear was stowed in our bunk cabin and we proceeded to learn how to sail. Anchors away and we raised the main sail. Back to the tiller and we were ready to negotiate the boat out.

With so many islands dotting the landscape any which direction we were looking at, it was a 24-hour sail around the many islands and a visit to the famous few.

Phuket is where you will find some of the most beautiful islands and beaches in the region, crystal clear waters and stunning geography. The diversity of this geography is also a powerful attraction.

We visited Phang Nga Bay, James Bond Island and the Phi Phi Islands. We learnt to operate the sailboat with our captain insisting that we work all the devices that make up a sailor. We visited some five islands before it was time to anchor in a cove for dinner.

As the crew pulled in the trawling fishing lines that were filled with fish, we got our snorkelling gear and jumped into the water for some new world sights. The ocean is an untapped world of wonder that never fails to impress and surprise me.

Anchoring this trip down

There are dozens of charter boat operators offering numerous packages and options to cater to just about any taste. Food and beverages are provided for with a cook on board and fresh seafood can be had by just trawling a line on this fish heavy waters.

Barracuda and squid are the easiest to catch and your Thai crew will easily prepare it to your taste. Three days on a boat is just about right. Anything more and then you will have to be on an 80-foot yacht to keep your sanity.

Most city dwellers will never look at a sailing holiday and instead prefer to do day-trips or even sunset cruises with dinner thrown in. But a night on a sail boat has its romance and we experienced it.

Prices range from an average of RM500 a night all inclusive for a person (best to keep the group small to about four to five persons).

The gentle bobbing of the sail boat as you sip your wine whilst listening to the ocean play its song against the hull of the boat is soothing, it has to be jotted down on your to-do-list soon.