A boat, so much more than the sum of her parts.
What is at a boat’s core?
As I sit here amongst the field of other boats rocking and swaying with each gust of the wind and change in the water, I finally see the very core of what a boat is. When I was a new boat owner, I thought that the core was all of the work I would need to do to keep her afloat. A boat builder might say the core is the layers of fiberglass, wood, or metal that make up the hull. A spectator might see the beautiful colors and shape of the sails as she glides past and believe that to be the core. All of those views contribute to what makes a boat but now I see that at the true core of a boat is…
Freedom
A boat offers unbridled freedom to any sailor willing to cast off. So much so that when we are not sailing, we must lash our boats down to fixed docks or trailers. Even while moored to a fixture a boat still dances around as much as she has the ability. She longs for the opportunity to move with the wind and seas and break free from her bonds.
Can’t Hold Them Down
Even as we bring them in to their land based temporary homes, they become increasingly more disagreeable. As we slow to a crawl and carefully ease them into their slips, they favor the wind and waves more as if to fight the chains of oppression they will soon be bound by.
History Will Tell
It is this unpredictable freedom that has both terrified and tantalized sailors for thousands of generations. The suggestion of lands and adventures in far off places combined with a partner that shines brightest while cutting through the seas and riding the wind, sailors never stood a chance.
