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I have not been sailing too long, but for some reason I am a natural
expert at it; what others have spent years studying and practicing, I pick up
almost overnight..
I’m not sure why I’ve become so proficient in this field, or
why it interests me to such a great extent.
I imagine the magic of the sea and the wind strike something deep
inside my conscience; sailing is partly a battle and partly an agreement
between you and Mother Nature. I do most of my sailing inside the San
Francisco bay, often going out at least once a week,
though I occasionally skip a few days. I enjoy teaching, racing, and sailing
for pleasure. I’ve learned that when I’m dolled up in my evil
Douglas Gill foulies, sitting behind the helm of a 30 foot sailboat cruising
back and forth in front of the Golden Gate Bridge in 30 knot winds, weaving
inbetween 300 ton cargo ships and dodging wind surfers traveling at speeds in
excess of 85 miles an hour, salt spray bouncing up off the decks, and water
swamping in over the leeward rail, the troubles of life simply don’t
matter, and float away with the waves and breeze. One must look out and understand the
physics of the water, the aerodynamics of the sails, a bit of meteorology,
another of astronomy and even knowledge of local geography. Reading charts is integral, plotting
courses refreshes forgotten trigonometry skills, and a healthy dose of
saltwater keeps your tanned skin shining like polished chrome. We forget about life’s troubles,
embrace the solitude.
After all, as the quote above says, Sailing is vital, living is not.
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