Prepared for the worst, Needra D’Souza set off for a cruise around the Whitsundays. Her sea log reveals how it went. For some, sailing the high seas spells romance and adventure, for me it means nausea and seasick bags. So, when friends invited us to go sailing on the Whitsundays for three nights, the answer was a polite, but firm, no. But they’re a coercive bunch and before long I found myself in delightful Airlie Beach, North Queensland, armed with boxes of ginger tablets and a sense of foreboding that hung low over my head.

Day 1

Just after lunch we walked along a scrabble-board maze of wharves, jammed with vessels, from luxury, monolithic cruisers to pint-sized runabouts, when we spotted home for the next few days, Windjammer.

A 22-metre schooner with 2000 square foot of sail, her green hull and wooden booms evoked an era of pirates and sea chests. We were introduced to Captain Nick, he of the mischievous grin, and the deeply tanned Kenny, our cook and deckhand for the voyage.

Once we’d motored out of the marina, off went the engine and up went the sails as we smoothly sliced through the water. There was no sign of seasickness. In fact, I hadn’t even unpacked the ginger tablets!

Captain Nick unfurled his map and pointed out the various islands and inlets we might see. There’s no set route – it depends on the wind, the weather and what you want to do.

Soon after, Kenny appeared with a huge platter of snacks – cheese, meats, crackers – which we devoured in between excited chatter. By late afternoon, we were enjoying a chilled white, a soft sea breeze and a blissful phone-computer-and-TV-free existence.

We dropped anchor between Hayman and Hook islands, and amid the romantic glow of on-deck lantern light, Captain Nick and Kenny appeared, a delicious feast of fish, saffron rice and stir-fry vegies in hand, followed by wild berry cheesecake. We certainly weren’t going to starve on this trip! What’s more, Kenny and Nick had laid the table, cooked, served up our meal, cleared everything away and washed up. There were many promises to take them home with us, but as Kenny ruefully said “everyone says that, but no one ever does”.

Day 2

What a great night’s sleep – all that lazing about clearly takes it out of you! What’s more, our cabin had a hatch that opened onto the deck so we could lie in bed and gaze straight up at the stars. On deck the table was again groaning with food – fresh fruit, cereal, toast, muffins – while in the water a loggerhead turtle bobbed by.

Food digested, we poured into our wetsuits and Captain Nick took us by motorised dinghy to Manta Ray Bay for a morning of snorkelling. We were welcomed by fish of every colour and farewelled by Fat Albert, a 90kg Maori Wrasse. Back on Windjammer, Kenny welcomed us with a just-out-of-the-oven cinnamon and sultana cake – exactly what you need after a morning of snorkelling.

After lunch, some wanted to have a go at steering the boat and tending the sheets under the tutelage of Captain Nick. I assumed a horizontal position on deck, until I noticed much excitement among the vertical members of our group. A pod of dolphins were playing tag in the distance. But what was that commotion next to our boat? Three whales (Mum, Dad and baby Jonah) were moseying about within metres of Windjammer. They breeched, fluked and had a rollicking good time and, for me, it was a childhood dream come true – to see a whale up close … and here were three!

After the excitement died down, along with the wind, we motored past an array of islands, some uninhabited, others home to well-known resorts. We anchored at Whitehaven Bay and watched the moon rise. We badgered the crew to tell us the star story: their take on the star patterns that peppered the sky. Kenny turned on another feast: chicken wrapped in filo pastry, creamy mash, and an array of vegies and side dishes, followed by a rich chocolate cake, cream and fruit. Yep, he had the five food groups covered.

Day 3

We got up early and some of us hopped aboard the dinghy Captain Nick helmed to Whitehaven, others dived in and swam the distance. We were free to walk the endless stretch of snow-white sand, catch a few rays or splash about in the crystal clear water before heading back to egg and ham muffins and Kenny’s fresh fruit sculpture.
 
Later, the wind kicked in and everyone was keen to help raise the sails – the sight of heading out under full sail is truly majestic.

It’s been three days with no mobile phones, computers or TV; the tranquillity and natural beauty of the area was all the entertainment we needed. You could chat with the group, find a quiet spot to bury your head in a book or earn your sailing stripes with Captain Nick, and forget about housework, deadlines and traffic.

We spent our last night in the protected waters of Cid Harbour. High winds were predicted and I kept the ginger close at hand. But it was nothing but calm as we watched the sun set into a palette of orange, pink and purple before tucking into Kenny’s Monday night roast, crunchy potatoes, stuffed mushrooms, vegies and garlic bread, followed by hot fruit crumble.

Day 4

After breakfast we headed back to Airlie Beach via Hook Island where we stopped to walk a national park trail. With our adventure almost over I detected a sombre mood among the troops. But just as I was revelling with pride at my nausea-free spell, the winds turned it up several notches, as did the swell. Would this be it? My great undoing? I clenched the railing, fixated on the horizon and hoped for the best. As it turned out, Captain Nick’s nautical savvy safely navigated us through the tumult and before long we were motoring into the calm of Airlie Beach. My equilibrium returned, my dignity and everything else intact.

We farewelled Windjammer and our intrepid crew, Captain Nick and Kenny, only to be met by a horrible whining noise. Yes, it was the annoying din of a mobile phone ringtone. And guess what? We all started to feel sick.