Date: 16.07.2018
Position: 55° 44,4 N 003° 29,6 E
Weather: sunny with light winds
Green sails wherever you look
Oh Joy! A third glorious day! Our wind and speed are holding – I know because we learned to measure speed today using time honored techniques in addition to reading off of our modern instruments. We are flying along. Our wonderful weather is due to a high pressure zone we’re approaching, so sadly the wind won’t last. While it does though we’ll make good use of it.
No textbook illustration can convey the transcendent experience of standing before the work of a master artist. In the same way any pictures of our daily view that we bring back will be lacking that vital spark. For the full experience one must climb to the very top of the mast or the tip of the bowsprit. There – hearing only the wind and waves and feeling the briny breeze rushing past as the ship surges forward – you know why they say the sea enchants people.
Having climbed both today the sea holds me twice as fast and I hope to never leave for long.
Sailing is deeply appealing to me not only because it is beautiful but because it is demanding. Our trainers in the 0-4 watch, Björn, Leif, Inga, Florian, Jannik, and Emma, have been drilling us in the names and locations of all twenty-four sails and the lines that control them. It takes decades of sailing to internalize everything you must know to masterfully command a ship, and even then you’re still being taught by the sea. So it’s good that our fearless leaders have us off to an excellent start.
We’re learning far more then technical details here onboard. Each day we learn to watch out for one another and to pull together. How to muster our courage and steel our will to accomplish our goals. Goals such as ascending the mast – congratulations to everyone who climbed today!
That is why I sail. Facing the elements with a strong crew molds us to our best selves. Long may we all continue to answer that challenge.
Best wishes, captain Mike, Shelly and the crew