I must admit, I was a little nervous about taking ...

I must admit, I was a little nervous about taking a sailing vacation, being on a boat for 4 days and 3 nights, I thought I might get bored. I was completely wrong; my vacation aboard Schooner Mary Day was one of the best vacations I have ever had. From the moment you see the Windjammer from a distance; you get that excited feeling that you used to get when you were a kid before Christmas. Wow, this thing is cool! I thought. The pictures, as beautiful as they are, do not do Mary Day justice. In real life, the attention to detail, the craftsmanship, it s almost overwhelmingly awesome. I could not believe how gorgeous every single aspect of this ship was.

My cabin impressed me just as much. It was spacious, immaculate, and charming. When I entered, I was presented with a welcome bucket full of Schooner Mary Day trinkets, soap, skin gel, a travel log, and a souvenir glass. Above my head was a skylight for fresh air and sun, my bed was long enough for me to actually stretch out in, and the mattress was very comfortable. I was on Mary Day during the dead of summer, so heat was not an issue, however, cabins on Mary Day do have heaters built in for cold nights.

I live in Maine, but have never experienced it from the other side of the coast. Sailing through the islands, getting off to explore, jumping off the boat to swim, sitting on deck and watching the scenery go by, it never got old, and I was not bored for a minute (which definitely surprised me). There s always something to do (if you want to do anything at all), something to watch, and someone to talk to.

The food was great, and served inside a spacious galley. It s hard to believe that it was all prepared and cooked on a wood stove right inside the ship. I thought I might go hungry on this boat, but I did not. Every meal was filling and delicious.

And then I thought, there s going to be other people on this boat, what s that going to be like? I m used to taking vacations where social interactions are not required, and being an introvert, I was nervous about this aspect. However, I must say, that I have never met a nicer group of people. The captains, crew and every single passenger were like family. All easy to talk to, by the end we were exchanging email addresses and hugging good bye. It was like making friends at summer camp when you re a kid.

I would definitely recommend taking a vacation aboard Schooner Mary Day to anyone who asks. It was such an incredible, unique experience. I have never done anything like it, and am glad to have finally been able to experience it. In fact, it s something I can imagine doing again and again, every year.