We went on a private afternoon cruise yesterday and just fell in love with Sea Bird! From the snorkeling and drinks to the sailing and sunset, this classic sailboat and her crew helped create some great memories.
From the time we got on the boat, Captain Valone made us feel at home with his friendly, relaxed demeanor. He explained right away what we would be doing and made us one of the boat's signature cocktails.
We motored out of Coco at a comfortable pace and took in the views of Coco and Playa Hermosa. We passed a tiny island that looked just like a silhouette of a gorilla head, and eventually wound up in an area with a small beach and coral reef. He took us out snorkeling personally and showed us where the coral was, puffer fish, and a stingray!
After that, we had some snacks and the sails went up. It was fun watching the captain and his first mate Melvin work together to hoist the sails. Never having been on a sailboat, we really enjoyed watching the process.
The boat itself is older, but renovations are being made and I anticipate seeing the final results, as we will be back to see her and go sailing again. She's a beauty with great character, and her owner is putting a lot of love into her.
Usually there are dolphins that like to play around the boat, and we enjoyed watching schools of fish leaping out of the water and also the birds on the hunt. We were lucky enough to get some clouds near the sun as it started to set, and we toasted with another signature cocktail, the "Tequila Sunset," as it went down.
Coming back into Coco was beautiful, with the beach all it up with strings of light and the water appearing inky in the dusk.