It's my fifth day on the Lynx and I'm settling in well. The first couple days were shaky - jet lag + long days + transit = metabolic suckerpunch. A twelve hour night of sleep cured that. Now I find myself deep in the business of learning a new boat. It's grand. There are a lot of challenges, usual and unusual. Spending months ashore between tours means rebuilding muscle every time, while working a new boat (and a schooner at at that) means having to constantly reevaluate the way I look at rigging, sailing, and seamanship.
My world is rapidly shrinking to the dimensions of the boat, plus whatever port we happen to be in. My attention focuses accordingly. In life on shore there is a great deal of wasted time and space. Driving, television, shopping, untended gardens, attics, basements. A lot is ignored. Not so on a boat. Every bit of space has a use, every moment of the working day is used. It makes for a fine environment in which to push oneself to learn rapidly, to put forth a great deal of useful effort and to overcome one's own foibles, shortcomings and blind spots. I'm not a terribly disciplined person in my daily life so I enjoy this opportunity to grow and improve myself in ways that I am not normally inclined.
I had missed the rhythm of the boats, the steady supporting schedule of day sails and maintenance and mealtimes that the crew comes to rest on like a well-laid keel. I had missed also the feeling of camaraderie, of coordination and mutual understanding that develops amongst a crew.
The trials and discoveries come fresh every day.
I will write more as I observe more.
Tue, January 8, 2008 - 9:22 AM
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My world is rapidly shrinking to the dimensions of the boat, plus whatever port we happen to be in. My attention focuses accordingly. In life on shore there is a great deal of wasted time and space. Driving, television, shopping, untended gardens, attics, basements. A lot is ignored. Not so on a boat. Every bit of space has a use, every moment of the working day is used. It makes for a fine environment in which to push oneself to learn rapidly, to put forth a great deal of useful effort and to overcome one's own foibles, shortcomings and blind spots. I'm not a terribly disciplined person in my daily life so I enjoy this opportunity to grow and improve myself in ways that I am not normally inclined.
I had missed the rhythm of the boats, the steady supporting schedule of day sails and maintenance and mealtimes that the crew comes to rest on like a well-laid keel. I had missed also the feeling of camaraderie, of coordination and mutual understanding that develops amongst a crew.
The trials and discoveries come fresh every day.
I will write more as I observe more.
