Sailing along

Sailing Outdoors Gateway of IndiaSailing sounds so glamorous Standing atop a hotel near Apollo Bunder and seeing the Arabian Sea dotted with mysterious white yachts complete with sundecks and sails I think This we must do Water sports is the one thing my children and I havent done I ask the kids and find to my surprise that one child wants to go right away the other wants to bailBut eventually one early morning Apollo Bunder is where I head to with them and their best buddies all armed with caps and bottles of water Sailing What can go wrong with sunrise blue water white sails sea gulls and morning breeze Its the stuff that poetry is made of rightAh but then we havent accounted for seasickness But lets dwell on that later The teenagers have all come armed with their phones Why would they go sailing if not to Instagram it We descend on to a massive private floating platform and I already feel like Im part of a James Bond movie with a naval helicopter circling in the sky before landing at the harbourA small boat comes along and we get into it and are taken to the yacht Sunil Lobo is our sailing master and he engages with the kids immediately mdash asking for names throwing questions at them and pointing at things It is a lesson in the life sciences mdash latitudes sea breeze the depth of water that different water vehicles need the history of piracy the kinds of sails that are used and the advantages of each port history marine life and pollution tides the rotation and revolution of planets and how they affect tides Only its so much more engagingIn the distance we are shown the hills of Uran and Karanja on the mainland The abandoned Dolphin Rock lighthouse which now looks like a battered giant boot was built in 1856 to guide ships into the harbour we are told We hear sailing stories of children competing in the sport and all the adventures that come along with itMidway the sailing hand lets out a shout And there it is mdash the thing we werent promised the thing we never expected mdash a pod of dolphins Its surreal how close they are And I am not exaggerating when I say that it seems as if they are following our boat They circle us flipping out of the water dolphins of all sizes There is at least one baby dolphin in the pod And yes they are as shiny and smiley and cute as you see them in picturesBut Vani my teenage daughter is violently sick all through It is such a pity because for some reason I forgot that she had motion sickness and for some reason the sailboat does not have sickness bags or pressure bands I cling on to her throughout the trip because she nearly passes out with sickness and that is the only thorn in a most beautiful trip Schools take your kids Mommies and daddies its totally worth it with or without dolphins Do this with your childrenSafety tip Be prepared for seasicknessFact fileWhere Arabian SeaBest for Boys and girls from age five upwards accompanied by a caregiver or parentsHow to reach We sail from the Gateway of IndiaTimings You can opt for sunrise or sunset sailing If the kids are young go during sunset as the sun is less oppressiveBudget Depends on the size of the yacht and number of people We sailed with Trip360 and there were eight of us who paid 600 per head Otherwise a sailboat for two hours can cost up to 4900 per boatFood Carry light snacksWater CarryRest Room facilities None during the tripWhere else to goElephanta Caves or the sea fort of AlibaugParent Poll Loved the experience wish we were prepared for seasicknessRating JJJKids Poll My son sitting out on the hull loved handling the sails and the sight of the dolphinsEnjoyed the tripRating JJJWhats Good It is a huge learning experience for the kids The dolphin sightings were simply brilliant The sail master was good with information and engaging with the kidsWhats Not So Good The organisers were not preparedwith firstaid kits or seasickness bagsCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates