So yet another weekend goes by.
Another weekend too fast.
Another weekend spent surrounded by happy, grinning kids, friends & new associates..
Could be worse I suppose.
So why do it. Why spend all me spare time teaching kids to sail & adults to eventually become instructors ?
In what is ever increasingly becoming a second job. (Without a second pay packet I might add).
I took a group of adults through the third day of thier sailing course on Saterday.
Ok it was a bit windy, but no problem at all. It was a little rainy, but you expect to get a little wet. It was a little overcast, but hey. Oh. Wait. Where the hell did that huge black cloud come from! ?
When were hit by a force eight squall it appeared out of no where, and I mean fast. One minute not there, the next upon us & raging.
Further upwind this leveled the fleet of childrens boats on the broad in an instant. Every one capsized within ten seconds minimum. Without exception. Looked odd them all sitting on top of thier boats.
The two ladies in the boat with me were unaware of the potential hazard this sudden onslaught had brought upon us & were a little reluctant when I politely sugested I should take hold of the controls.
As I did the full force hit us & I can only say we took off.
Its very, very rare you feel acceleration in a sailing dinghy, this was a rare occation.
I am still genuinely amazed this did not tear the rig off of the boat.
What did happen is that I got caught, no time to turn and had to go with it. The next 30 or so seconds I can only describe it as like driving a large 4X4 vehicle through a deep puddle. I could not see much through the ensuing wall of spray & water as we skimmed across the water.
All was fine, I found a reletive calm spot in the lee of the shore & the world slowed down to thinking speed again.
Now what made this special for me was, (bear in mind thes two ladies, in thier 40's had only stepped in a boat three weekend previously), they sat laughting out loud, prim an correctly in their crewing positions & said to me "that was fun , can we go round and do it again?".
Im glad they had faith in me.
As quickly as it came it went.
40 seconds, possible.
How can fourty seconds make your day?.
So why do it, for moments like this.
Another weekend too fast.
Another weekend spent surrounded by happy, grinning kids, friends & new associates..
Could be worse I suppose.
So why do it. Why spend all me spare time teaching kids to sail & adults to eventually become instructors ?
In what is ever increasingly becoming a second job. (Without a second pay packet I might add).
I took a group of adults through the third day of thier sailing course on Saterday.
Ok it was a bit windy, but no problem at all. It was a little rainy, but you expect to get a little wet. It was a little overcast, but hey. Oh. Wait. Where the hell did that huge black cloud come from! ?
When were hit by a force eight squall it appeared out of no where, and I mean fast. One minute not there, the next upon us & raging.
Further upwind this leveled the fleet of childrens boats on the broad in an instant. Every one capsized within ten seconds minimum. Without exception. Looked odd them all sitting on top of thier boats.
The two ladies in the boat with me were unaware of the potential hazard this sudden onslaught had brought upon us & were a little reluctant when I politely sugested I should take hold of the controls.
As I did the full force hit us & I can only say we took off.
Its very, very rare you feel acceleration in a sailing dinghy, this was a rare occation.
I am still genuinely amazed this did not tear the rig off of the boat.
What did happen is that I got caught, no time to turn and had to go with it. The next 30 or so seconds I can only describe it as like driving a large 4X4 vehicle through a deep puddle. I could not see much through the ensuing wall of spray & water as we skimmed across the water.
All was fine, I found a reletive calm spot in the lee of the shore & the world slowed down to thinking speed again.
Now what made this special for me was, (bear in mind thes two ladies, in thier 40's had only stepped in a boat three weekend previously), they sat laughting out loud, prim an correctly in their crewing positions & said to me "that was fun , can we go round and do it again?".
Im glad they had faith in me.
As quickly as it came it went.
40 seconds, possible.
How can fourty seconds make your day?.
So why do it, for moments like this.
5 comments:
Oh, I am so glad you are a good sailor! So, do it again? (I think not....)
This is the problem.
Not a good sailor, or I would have noticed the problem before it occured.
,but I will do it again.
The weak will in me craves the adrenalin.
Sounds both dangerous and fun.
Oh, you've impressed me! You have given them a thrill, taught them a new skill, communed with nature, and used your savvy to pull out of a dangerous situation. That sounds like a VERY worthwhile weekend!
The only problem with communing with nature, is that it sometimes shows you just what big teeth it has as you are stroking it's belly.
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