Saturday, October 13, 2007

So we went sailing...

















We have a 925 page book called "Chapman Piloting and Seamanship, 65th Edition" from the library sitting in our office. There's something about sailing that makes me want to know all the details, like it's a living breathing thing and not just another hobby. It's a sustainable version of an RV that travels over water instead of land and has its own subculture.


We took a triple certification class for a week from the ASA (American Sailing Association) that resulted in our ability to charter a boat. What? That means we can go to any charter company anywhere in the world and charter a boat on our own for a period of time. I don't know what that sounds like to you, but to me that sounds like sweet freedom and adventure.

We finished the class at the end of August, and we have yet to charter a boat since. It seems like Portland is more about owning boats than chartering. We're really excited to get out on the water again.

Emily was a fantastic sailor, she was behind the helm as we started our trip into 20 knot winds and heeled over with the lee rail nearly in the water.

I think my love affair with sailing comes from the thin lines between cultures. There are destinations and there are journeys, and sailing creates the idea of a journey like nothing else I can imagine. It's the slow way to get somewhere, taking only what you need and nothing more, taking your home and a piece of what you know along with you into the unknown. It was substantially different to visit the San Juans by boat than to roll in on a ferry with your car.

I see boats in our future.



"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea."
-- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry