Of Sea Dogs and Lost Ambitions

Been a long time ship mates. I really pulled myself back from sailing 6 years ago. But there were returns! A couple of classic regattas and suddenly a Melges regatta on my home waters coaxed me out, the former being enjoyable and sociable, the latter being painful sailing but a good social. I did get coaxed into using the boat I share, and actually overnighting on it. It is a wreck in the cabin, but wow, did we enjoy ourselves We had the weather with us and each other's good company. With little over a meter under the waterline, she allowed us to sneak around the local skerries and sharp inlets, and find our way into a lost harbour. Then there was sailing home with an easterly building, and being able to hold the boat goose winged by steering and no need for the sprit boom we dont have! It was a very small morcel of learning, but it was a satisfying nip ontop of the experience I have amassed and the attitude that one is always learning the boat. I had also taken a family I know out, and their blomstering young, tall, elegant daughter took very well to sailing. I had reefed the boat down as it was blowing yeah, around 6, and it behaved itself. She was a natural, and could just understand the angles for gybing. Post relationship, I took up an offer to crew on a nice Halberg Rassay- ended up coaching her. And having some good little tours in waters new. Then there was the classic 8m cruise. Completing my pilotage ticket west towards the next town in what turned out to be, pretty much the best weekend of weather the whole year! Learning, about cruising and putting text book and a lot of what other people did when I was a kid or without responsibility. The mellow feeling of those cruises with Linda, and those with Mick n Danny. The feeling of things falling into place from my father's time, and the lost time when he could have been teaching me.