Two years on the COVID frontline as a paramedic left me burnt out and desperate for escape. Adventure beckoned, and I found myself on the cusp of a wild ocean odyssey. My crew? A salty old sea dog captain and a pilot turned drunken pirate, whom I both met just a week before setting sail. Our vessel: a rickety salvage boat, proudly lacking a motor. With the wind in our sails and a complete lack of experience, we charted a course for the Yucatan Peninsula. Fasten your life vest, because we sure didn't. What could possibly go wrong? This hilarious misadventure would transform me into the sailor I am today.