2 Of Us

Saturday February 9, 2008

Chris & Karyn Ennor

In 1994, marketing executive Chris Ennor and English teacher Karyn Margolis quit their jobs in Sydney and set off for the Mediterranean in a 10-metre catamaran called Magic Carpet. Later married, Chris, 62, and Karyn, 55, have spent 12 years cruising the world. They're now in Bundaberg, still aboard, planning their next adventure.

Karyn: When we met in the early 1990s, Chris was still a corporate type who wore suits and drove a company Volvo. We were both doing the same massage course, but I don't remember seeing him there. Being an opportunist, in the nicest sort of way, he heard someone at the course had a message for me and asked for my phone number so he could pass it on. After he did, he asked me out to dinner. I thought, "Who is this guy?" Obviously, he remembered me: he told me later he'd been looking down my blouse during the course!

At the time, I felt we came from different worlds. I lived in Newtown; he was from Ryde. I was single; he'd recently been divorced, had children, and had spent his adult life in the corporate world. But I went to dinner with him, and then to a French movie. Afterwards he quizzed me about the movie, and asked all sorts of heavy questions like, "So - what do you think about love and life?" A month or so later he told me he was seeing two other women, and was quite open about the fact that he was looking for a partner to go cruising with him. He was totally focused on his sailing dream, and when he decided that I was suitable - he had this sort of checklist he put me through - he broke up with the other two ladies.

But it took about a year before we got anywhere near a first kiss. I kept him at arm's length; I suppose because he was so keen and full-on, and I think eventually he was starting to lose interest. All that changed during a romantic night sailing his catamaran on Sydney Harbour. Afterwards, he asked me again how I'd feel about going cruising. I said, "Is this a proposal?" And he said he supposed it was. Then Chris began planning everything for the cruise, and I read yachting magazines and books on cruising. I was an outdoor type and, to me, cruising seemed just like camping. Two-star accommodation while travelling in five-star places: it sounded good, and right from the start I just fitted into the lifestyle.

Our first cruise took us to Thailand, then through the Middle East to the Mediterranean. It was a great apprenticeship for me, because Chris grew up with boats and is an intuitive sailor. He was a qualified yacht master and instructor, and I felt quite relaxed because I had total confidence in him. He was very patient, too, not one of those yelling captains you see so often shouting at their wives or partners. Some of those women become too fearful to do anything in case they get yelled at, so they end up just doing the household stuff.

Luckily, Chris isn't like that. He knows what it's like to be yelled at because his father used to be very critical of everything he did. He was 14 when he got his first sailboat, and that was when he decided he was going to make his own decisions in life. Sailing helped to shape his independence, and he was also a competitive racer, which honed his skills.

You develop an amazing number of skills through cruising, not just sailing but language and social skills. Chris is very sociable, and in the early days he seemed to be always away talking to other cruising people. He'd come back and announce he'd invited six people to dinner, and I'd say, "Oh no, not tonight, I'm too tired!", and he'd get really disappointed. Then I realised how important the networking was, and how when other sailors come to dinner you get to know them in a really special way. We made so many friends you'd never meet otherwise, across all ages, occupations and backgrounds, and I ended up almost as talkative as Chris!

Chris: I'd always wanted to be a gypsy sailor. I could have done it by myself, but it seemed a much better idea to do it with a partner. So I was actively looking for someone who would come sailing, but not reluctantly. Otherwise, and I've seen this often, women go along just to appease their husbands, but they don't really enjoy it and it soon becomes hard yards. On our first sail together on Sydney Harbour, I deliberately left Karyn by herself on the tiller for a while. She'd never sailed before, yet when I came out of the cabin she was sitting cross-legged, totally relaxed and comfortable as she steered. So that was the first big tick.

Karyn's family were Jewish refugees from Poland. She was born in Melbourne and grew up on the Gold Coast, and when we met she was less confident and quieter than she is these days. I felt a physical attraction, and I also liked that she wasn't into acquiring things or seeking the grand house on the hill. We got married in 1998. Karyn wasn't that keen because she didn't see the point of it; I guess it was more my statement to my kids and family that this was permanent, not just one of Dad's girlfriends.

Karyn's real strength, which I don't have, is that she lives in the moment. I'm always planning the future, while she gets the most out of the day we're in. It's only in the last year that I've got her to wear a watch. If we're crossing an ocean and a weary bird lands on the boat, she gives it her full attention; if dolphins appear on the bow, she rushes to look at them. She's also a really good cook and an expert sleeper. She's not an intuitive sailor, but she knows enough that if something happened to me she could get herself safely to port. Karyn loves the cruising life, but if I died tomorrow she wouldn't keep the boat. She couldn't maintain it and do everything that needs to be done; that's just not her go.

At sea, she plays a blues harmonica while I play guitar. We also perform together ashore. In the Greek Islands, after a local bloke was really kind to us, we played in his brother's restaurant to repay his hospitality. You actually spend a very small amount of time doing passages. Mostly you're in places: exploring, catching up with cruising friends, visiting markets. I've always been a Mr Have-a-Chat and, after a while, Karyn caught the habit and became a real girls' girl. She spends ages talking to other women. That separate routine is one of the ways we maintain our privacy and, because she has no sense of time, Karyn will often head off somewhere ashore and not return for hours.

I'm really glad I didn't end up sailing alone. People tell us we're an ideal team, and I think it's partly because Karyn is so open to alternatives and possibilities and people, without prejudice, which is the true spirit of cruising. She also has the sweetest nature; I can't recall meeting anyone who didn't like her.