WHAT THE SEA GIVES BACK TO US
The singing wind, the staccato chime of rigging, and the breaking waves perform a timeless classic in the harbor. The shoreline is greeted by an elderly couple and their golden retriever. The pier invites new young love, cups of hot chocolate, and alpaca blankets at sunrise. These are still and quiet coveted moments. Time stands still in these sweet moments as we patiently await the first breeze that will lead us into an afternoon of sailing. Flags upon the mast quietly encourage us to prepare. Wellington boots lay in the trunk, life jackets resting on the seats, and the perfect sailing caps fill our tote. Each moment carries a significant role in our ritual of sailing. As sailing is not something that we do. Sailing is who we are. It is a space where water shapes each heart it touches, breathing the importance of life into each person like wind filling a sail. A space where the sea connects each sailor like a continuous, forever-growing spring line. A world where the ocean encourages us to evolve with the lessons each tide presents. Simple, satisfying, and a life and legacy shaped by water.
Shared winds, tides, and open waters are comforts we find in and beyond the harbor. Here, we find warmth in dignifying the vessels that carry us into a world that shapes us effortlessly. Life is lived differently as a sailor. The appreciation we find in a shared way of living provides confidence in advice in a way only a sailor can. The deep desire to sail when the tide is low and the important restraint we must have are skills we have learned together over time. These are the moments where we gather and remember why resting our sails during low tide allows us to sail another day. The ocean tides and life mirror each other; the highs and lows are profoundly present, building us through resistance and relaxation. And like the wind, great or small, the people who cross and stand along our path of sailing are profoundly present. Unwavering support is as natural as a sunrise around the water. The sea, like life, has a very specific way of humbling each sailor. Rough waters in life come and go, and tides may rise and fall, but the family built among the water harbors a connection that never changes.
The timeless wind of sailing offers the opportunity to evolve, develop, and mature in ways that only the elements can provide. Skills are learned in this world of sailing, but the key lessons lie in the unspoken experiences nature unexpectedly presents. Those are the life lessons the water gives us. Confidence to sail into many spaces with an awareness of true capability. The importance of docking and the care required go beyond the beauty of our vessels. It’s the clarity of protection that we must have for the things that we claim to value. The perfect and proper coating of wax preserves the stunning shine of the 1970 wooden daysailer sitting in the first slip in the harbor. This radiant shine that beams from the water is a simple side effect of the wax. Yet the primary purpose of sanding, staining, and coating with the wax is protection from the elements. Like the value we find in our boats, we quickly understand the same level of self-care is equally important. After all, a boat can not sail itself. Gently navigating the waters teaches us that precise and gentle movements are still forward, even if it’s at an angle. The awareness of power, like the wind, is not to be controlled, but to sail and self-adjustment is a refined art to be mastered and not acquired.
Wisdom rests in the eyes and wrinkles of an elder sailor. A lifetime relationship with the open water carries a value that is truly unparalleled. A quiet confidence beams most when passionate waters embrace the hull. Eyes never once leaving the horizon, break through waves like the first light of day breaking through darkness. The elder sailor is a treasure to hold dear. Listening to the words that reverberate across the harbor as they prepare to sail, and sharing a moment with an elder on the water, impacts generations to come. Wisdom that flows from generation to generation is found in the ritual that the elders have curated. A particular boot, that signature pair of gloves, that perfectly cut egg sandwich, all create the myriad of precious traits that become tradition. Following into young adulthood, where the words of our elders effortlessly become law, and on to the love of our lives, sharing the helm and adding to traditions that build these very moments. This is a legacy shaped by water. We freely give respect and honor to the traditions of the past and the timeless ways of our sailing forebears. A heritage that we preserve with all that we are. What is watered in life will always grow, and in this life, it is clear what the sea has given back to us.
