More Than Meets The Eye

I often hear, "Oh, how we'd love to sail around the world or to some warm, exotic place.  It would be so fun, so romantic, so exciting."  The accompanying sentiment is that once past learning how to successfully maneuver a sailboat from point A to B it's all peaches and cream . . . you now have the ability to sail just about anywhere you want.  Free lodging  - you sleep onboard.  Prepare meals that are fresh from the sea.  On the surface, sailing looks like fun.

Sailing can be fun when you know what you're doing.  Inland lake sailing is a favorite.   Inland lake conditions are predictable.  Warm water.  Wind in the morning.  No wind in the afternoon until 4 or 5.  Wind dies later on for the rest of the night.  No big deal to anchor, barbecue off the stern, take a swim to cool off, watch the starry night sky.  Listen to the sound of water fowl settling down for the night and gentle waves slapping against the boat's hull...sweet music that will lull you to sleep.  Doesn't get any better than that.

Lake sailing is all well and good.  What you see is what you get.  Predictable.  Ocean sailing is another story.  Unlike lake sailing/what you see is what you get, ocean sailing is unpredictible and dangerous. 

Like this:

http://www.latitude38.com/features/moonduster.html

And this which supports my point:

"The accident that took place onboard WindChild the morning of April 1, seriously injuring Michael Kalahar, has led to a renewed appreciation and an increased awareness of many things. It’s not that we take things ‘for granted’, but we do get used to a way of life — especially having support systems nearby.

When boaters head out onto the ocean for those big crossings, they’ve prepared for a long time. They work to acquire experience, education and equipment. During those crossings, they are acutely aware that they are outside the range of coastal rescue. It’s 2,800 miles from Mexico to the Marquesas. It had taken WindChild about 10 days to get 1,400 miles and it would certainly be another 10 before they’d reach land. Sailors out there accept that they are on their own and they take many steps to be self-reliant. Sometimes that isn’t enough."

And this one, too...a video of a knockdown (very end of video):



Then consider this:

Pirates.  Passing through unfriendly, we hate Americans, custom searches at each port.  Marina police (bribes anyone?).  Thieves.  People who love to hurt other people.

Toothaches.  Injuries.  Illness.

Then there are things that break on the sailboat and no mechanic nearby for repairs.  Ya got to be handy with the right tools and the right stuff to fix things that break.

All things going wrong are tended to at sea all by your little lonesome and without resources.  

It's like ....Tag!  You're it!!  Ball is in your court.  Fix it.  Or else.

Ocean sailing is more than meets the eye.  Romantic at times.  Exciting.  Fun.  Educational.  But potentially deadly.  All this said, short ocean trips and not lengthy ones make for not only successful trips but a happy marriage.

All this said, this (the video below) could happen while lake sailing.  Whoa Nellie!  I can hardly wait!!! 



 Monday is another day sailing on Whiskeytown.  We'll have two new friends with us to share the day.  Just another day in Paradise.