Overcomers

In 1986, my husband Stan and I left Canada for a sailing adventure. A one year sabbatical to the Bahamas aboard our 38’ boat turned into a 14 year life-changing experience. Our journeys took us through the Windward and Leeward Islands of the Caribbean, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, across the Atlantic Ocean down the length of the Mediterranean to Israel and back again.

Now when I reflect on the memories of that time I often think of the many different people we met along the way - people from all around the world. Our paths would never have crossed without the common bond of sailing and many of them taught us valuable life lessons.

Two of the most extraordinary people we met were from England. Like us, they too had built their sailboat before cruising off for the Mediterranean. We met John and Jane* along the coast of Portugal. Stan and I had recently arrived from St. Maarten in the Caribbean - a total of 34 days at sea to cross the Atlantic Ocean, with short stops in Bermuda and the Azores Islands. They had sailed from the south coast of England across the unpredictable English Channel. As most sailors do, we had lots of stories to swap. Since we were both headed for Gibraltar to live aboard for the winter months, we sailed in company along the coast of the Algarve and through the straits of Gibraltar.

As our friendship with John and Jane grew and their story emerged we realized that we were in the company of people with amazing determination and an attitude towards life that we had never experienced before. They tackled every challenge that was thrown in their path, not only with drive to succeed, but with the intention to have fun doing it. They were a joy to be around and often lifted our spirits. We learned that our friend was a carpenter and had his own kitchen cabinet business in England. He had renovated an older home and was the proud father of a son and daughter and a recent grandpa.

Building a boat and going sailing was their retirement dream although they were only in their early fifties. They frequently had friends aboard who crewed for them on the longer sailing trips. I can still hear their laughter, across a peaceful anchorage during late night chats in the cockpit.

None of this might sound extraordinary except for the fact that John was a paraplegic. As a young man he tested recently-serviced planes. One came down and he survived the crash but was left in a wheelchair to be told he would never do any of the things he dreamed of. But that didn’t stop him - he got around the deck of his boat by dragging his lower body on elbows and palms thick with calluses. He was always game for excursions ashore in his wheelchair or by swinging his unusable limbs between two walking canes.

The lesson we learned watching this couple deal with boat repairs, sailing emergencies, getting supplies and the daily challenges of living aboard was to take each day with whatever it brings. Today, in our memories, they stand as an example of how to face hardship without complaint.