At Dockwa, we’ve always believed in the power of time on the water... how a few hours at sea can bring peace, perspective, and connection. Few organizations embody that truth more beautifully than Sail Beyond Cancer USA, a nonprofit dedicated to honoring those impacted by cancer through the healing experience of sailing. Founded in Burlington, Vermont, and now spanning multiple coastal chapters, the organization brings patients, caregivers, and loved ones together for what they call “mission sails” - moments to breathe, reflect, and simply feel the magic of the wind.
Each sail is led by trained volunteer captains and crew who create a safe, uplifting environment aboard vessels donated or operated through Sail Beyond Cancer’s hybrid program. In this story, written for the season of gratitude and giving, we share how Sail Beyond Cancer’s memorial sails offer families a place to remember, reflect, and find comfort on the water.
By Lynn Fitzpatrick - Sail Beyond Cancer
White meat, dark meat, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans with mushrooms, Yorkshire pudding, gravy, pumpkin and apple pies. Everyone has their theory on what makes the best gravy. Oh, and don’t forget the cranberry sauce – grandma’s cranberry sauce, with ground cranberries, oranges and lots of sugar. Bring a can of store bought, just in case. There’s nothing better than Aunt Sue’s apple pie a la mode. Do your Thanksgivings include the retelling of stories about the time the dog ate all the mashed potatoes or your in-laws were caught in a blizzard on Rt. 80?
Whether we host Thanksgiving meals or travel great distances, we do so for more reasons than to feast with extended family. We give thanks for all that we have, for tradition, for televised football, for a ban on political discussion, for leisure time, for storytelling, for camaraderie, and memories. Over time, spots at the adult table become available, our circle of loved ones shifts, and fresh stories and traditions become family lore.
Around the Thanksgiving table, we also hold space for our friends and family who have crossed over the bridge. On a more intimate level, Sail Beyond Cancer’s 3- hour memorial sails provide a safe, distraction-free and healing environment to memorialize those who have succumbed to cancer. Participants can bring a feast, say a toast, or pay tribute in whatever way suits them or feels most comfortable. The remembrance sails are designed to let those who have lost a loved one within the past three years know that they are not alone in this journey. The sails are a means of support and self-care.
Sail Beyond Cancer’s Annapolis chapter hosted Sue Brassard; her husband, Dave; and Sue’s besties when she was alive. Later in the year, Dave, Sue’s family, and friends traveled from as far away as Virginia to Burlington, Vermont, for Sue’s memorial sail with Sail Beyond Cancer Vermont. Her husband, John, writes,
“My wife, Sue, loved being on or around a body of water; such was a direct connection to her soul. Sail Beyond Cancer afforded Sue and me two opportunities for this connection, a sail while she was alive, and a remembrance sail, after she passed, with close family and friends. Those sailing excursions brought a welcome joy and respite from both the stresses of living with cancer, and then the eventual grief. Sue and I are so grateful to SBC for being of service and comfort during those difficult times. Thank you.”
Sail Beyond Cancer hosts husbands, wives, parents, siblings, children, fraternity brothers, sorority sisters, teammates, neighbors, and pets. Landlubbers who have never set foot on a boat are most welcome. A skilled skipper, reliable crew, and good company quickly turn stress, sadness, and grief into relief, camaraderie, and stories. Guests often escape to the bow or the windward rail for contemplative, private time with their face to the wind. Sail Beyond Cancer’s crew know they have succeeded when their guests smile, close their eyes, and find a comfortable spot to take a catnap and connect with their departed loved one. Lang Graighill wrote of his wife, Wendy’s memorial sail this October,
“Peace and hope, and the feel of wind and the smell of salt air combined to refresh the spirit. I am grateful for the heart inspired to minister to those who grieve….A mixture of a sad farewell and a warm sun reminding of a promise of tomorrow. God is faithful to provide, and this includes mercy to overcome grief. A more perfect day to sail we could not have asked for!"
As we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, be grateful and be present. For those of you who have lost someone close, Sail Beyond Cancer’s chapters in Vermont, Massachusetts, Annapolis, Viriginia, and Rhode Island offer you the opportunity to create a special holiday - a day to harness the healing powers of the wind, water, and sail. Make it a day to give thanks to the time spent together, the wisdom gained, the joys shared, the bonds forged, and the memories made between you and that special loved one whose cancer made your personal journey more interesting. There are no age restrictions for passengers and the excursions are free. Excursion nominees may invite up to five friends/loved ones to join them on their own, private sail.
Remember SailBeyondCancer.org on Giving Tuesday
Find out more about Sail Beyond Cancer’s existing chapters, the nomination process, volunteering, financial support, boat donation program, and memorial sails at www.SailBeyondCancer.org and follow the organization’s multiple chapters on Facebook.