Come About

Yesterday I went sailing for the first time of the season, and it felt great. My friend Chris has a boat, a 28 foot Catalina. It’s old and a little beat up, but he bought it for a song, and put in a new engine and new sails in himself. He’s a great captain, and tries to teach me as much as possible, between several cans of ice cold beer. So far I've learned that sailing is a different world.

For one, you’re on the water. You’re not standing on land, or even a giant ferry, not even close. Our tiny craft shot into the ocean, and passed Boston, Revere, all the way up to Marblehead. We were way out there, where most novice sailors dare not go. And the trip was so clean and silent. There’s no spewing of gas fumes, or engine noise to yell over. We’re at one with the sea-- Ha! It sounds super corny, right? But how else do I describe it? Sometimes it feels like flying. There’s also a solitude here, which is quite welcome.

View of Boston from the Alana Jo

From a writer’s standpoint, another cool thing about sailing is the language. Most people know general terms like starboard, and port, or even the head, but it gets way more involved. You have to know the lines, the main sheet, and the jib sheet (the smaller of the two sails, that’s strung up with no hull or boom.) If you want to turn sharply, you have to tack, and turn the jib from one side to the other. When you’re ready to tack you yell, come about. Then you might have to adjust the main sail, by releasing the traveler, and then cranking the winch to remove the luff. Then you want to keep the sails full by moving slightly up, into the wind, or fall off, and go with the wind. Later, you park your boat at a mooring.

There are other terms I’m still learning, and I look forward to my next trip. I’ve sailed a dozen times with Chris now, and every time is different. Sometimes the winds are so high I’ve come home with cuts on my hands and my brains still sloshing around. Other times the sea was calm and the sails weren’t up for long. Yesterday was just right. What a good old fashioned escape.