Sailing Is Good for the Soul - Turku

Turku Archipelago, Finland

We’ve just docked the boat. I’m standing on the pier, feeling funny, as if the ground was swaying. After four days and three nights on a sailing boat, this is to be expected. It will pass over the next days. 

What will last longer is the memory of these dream-like days, sailing in the Archipelago Sea. I am from Finland originally, but this part of the country was a new experience to me. It is the largest archipelago in the world, measured by the number of islands. Estimates range between 40,000 and 50,000, depending on how you measure an island. Some are large and inhabited, some covered with forest, while others are better described as rocky islets. 

This part of the Baltic Sea is also famous for its natural beauty.

I’ll never forget the feeling of gliding through the waters, passing island after island. Those grey and green rocky formations looked majestic and bold, with their rough silhouettes drawn against the blue Nordic sky. The waves crashed against granite shores, just as they have for thousands of years. The fresh wind blew the sail, pushing the boat forward, telling us to obey nature.

I’ll remember the tranquil evenings, the boat docked on the pier of an island, next to fellow sailors. I loved the simplicity of our evening routines: sauna, followed by a dip in the bitter cold water, then dining on the boat. Beautiful conversations, watching the sunset. And in the end, falling asleep in the softly rocking cradle of the boat. 

We lost the sense of time.

Immersed in the experience, we felt as if time did not exist. Now that it is over, I feel time flew by far too quickly. We’re sad to hug our friends goodbye.

Umberto and I walk from the river dock to the hotel in Turku, slowly and in silence, carrying our bags. I feel the weight and stop to switch shoulders. He asks me what I’m thinking about. 

“I’m trying to figure out why sailing is so magical,” I respond, and fall silent again.

Visual memories, feelings and ideas are circling in my head. I feel the need to write. Later in the evening, after my husband has fallen asleep, I grab my diary and start getting my thoughts in order. 

Sailing …

Is meditative. Watching the waves is hypnotic. The swaying and rocking of the boat is almost trance-inducing. 

Puts you in direct contact with nature. You need to respect its force, obey its rules. It also surprises you continuously. Keep your senses open, and you’ll spot a seal, a flock of birds, an unusual rock formation. You’ll hear the music of the wind.

Makes you respect the environment. You become more conscious of every drop of water you consume, what you throw away as waste and where you dispose of it. 

Makes you more flexible. The confined space requires you to drop normal routines and invent simpler ways of doing things. You realize that less really is more.

Helps you sleep better. Being outdoors and breathing fresh sea air all day long makes you sleep like a baby.

Is a skill and an art. Umberto and I don’t have either. We watched in awe how our friends operated. It takes many years to learn it that well. 

Builds friendship and trust. Spending 24/7 together in a confined space is a true test of chemistry between friends. I felt it was a bonding experience. 

Is Freedom. There are no roads you need to follow. You can wake up in the morning, feel the wind and decide your direction.

Sailing is good for your soul. 

*****

This blog post is dedicated to our friends Tia and Perttu who gave us this incredible gift. We will always remember the days sailing together in the Archipelago Sea.