In Sailing as in life it is not the destination but rather the journey itself that truly matters.
Enter the world of a sailor and you’ll find more than just race talk, discussions on gear, or talk about whose boat is newer. The sailing life is a true philosophy. Its imagery sparks the imagination, holds our dreams up high, and inspires us to achieve more. Throughout history, it has always been the most daring men who set out to sea – those individuals who risked it all in order to obtain something that cannot be found on land. There is a mystery about the sea that calls to us. It is the unknown grandeur of it all that has lured so many people to seek out a life upon the swells.
And sailboats are our vessels. The bond a sailor forms with his ship is far more than a person will ever know for a house or a car. A ship is a sailor’s vessel, home, lifeline, and protector. Every sailboat has their own personality – a spirit that is easy to feel when you set foot upon her decks.
Every sailor knows this… You may start sailing as a hobby, or while racing, or for whatever reason – but in the end the sea calls for you. Your heart skips a beat whenever you see “your” boat. You feel pride in her, no matter if she’s a little 15′ sailing skiff or a 60′ purebred ocean racer. You care for her, look for ways to improve her, and dote upon her whenever your time allows. It is no wonder that so many famous quotes have a sailing theme. Sailing simply brings out the best in human nature and in many cases, makes a perfect analogy – no matter what the circumstance.
So to my worried family and friends clinging tightly to this life, who see sailing upon the open ocean as a reckless risk of all that I should hold dear, I lovingly demur. The world offers no safe harbor – that is an illusion. The end comes for us all, and if we choose to remain in port, it will come for us there. I for one am in no hurry to rush out to meet it, but neither do I see the point of altering my course in fear of its arrival. It is life that I am at risk of meeting on the open sea – not Death, who already knows where to find me.
Sailing Amaryllis 