Posted by Terry Date (Editor) , August 16, 2013 at 02:27 AM
One passenger said after the morning sailing trip that she had fretted that she wouldn’t be able to go.
She had feared something would arise with her cancer treatment and she would have to abandon the promise of hours of respite and relaxation at sea that is the Sailing Heals program.
As it turned out she and other cancer patients had a tranquil time Monday aboard Valiant, the 64-foot wooden sailing vessel skippered by Marblehead owner Gary Gregory and tended by his crew.
The guests were some of the most recent passengers among the hundreds of cancer patients and their caregivers on the East Coast who have ridden on classic sailboats as part of the nonprofit Sailing Heals organization founded by watchmaker Panerai.
On Monday, some fifteen passengers spread out on Valiant’s deck under blue skies as seven crew members angled the sleek sailboat to the mouth of Marblehead Harbor bound for waters off Gloucester.