Sailing. Some may say that is something for the rich and snob, but really: this is not the case. Yes, maybe it requires some investments and, as I am learning the jobs never quite finish. In fact, just walk around a boatyard or marina and you will barely see anyone relaxing before sunset. Some maybe playing with sails, engines, cleaning the deck, building some constructions for solar panels or fighting with some new water filters. And conversations will follow suit. There will be no politic chat (okay, maybe a bit of Brexit, but more related to problem solving, transit logs, biometric cards) and little, minimal, chit chat. It will be mostly technical talks of the daily achievements, failures or simply misfortunes. There will be advice, cheering ups or simply sympathising. So, in the last month, beyond having learnt quite a fair bit on electric circuits and engines and becoming very acquainted with every single bit of pipe or cable that passes in my boat underbelly, I have also made some friends and learnt that I really really like boat people and this kind of life. I already knew this back at 'stage 1' of this adventure, when, at Christmas time I found myself landing in this far far away island and I felt incredibly welcomed, not just by the entrance guard/marinero (whose aim was to try to avoid for this girl to get hurt on his watch) but many others who chose to make sailing their living. So I was invited for Xmas dinner with sailing be happy (website coming soon!) , and New Years with sailing affairs. It really warmed my heart.
And then I came back, and things became real, very real. As a matter of fact chances are that as you are reading this I am somewhere in the middle of the sea, which would mean I made it (or maybe i am heading back by plane, which means something out of my control has happened. Boats and weather don’t like being ‘on a schedule’, but I still 'made it'). I restored ‘her’ after 4 years on the dry dock. It was troublesome to say the least. But despite my ‘being alone’ I was definitely not alone. There was 'sailing holly blue', with Laura bringing me cakes to try, the kids spreading joy, and Ross who provided some very useful help in a moment when I really needed it, then sailing affairs Stefan (and his dog Paul) which not only are a book of sailing knowledge but also very patiently helped me not crash (and learn how not to crash) while mooring backwards (still a lesson in progress)...and these are just some, because the number of people who cheered me on or simply asked how I was doing were too many to mention. I don’t know if this is just the sailing community, but one of the few 'places' where I felt those kind of bonding before was during scout camps. And in some occasions with my running club. I have a theory that this has to do with living a simple life, stripped of unnecessary items. One may call it a ‘raw’ life. Together in necessity. Sharing 'the burdens' of life. And yes, while there may be some ‘rich sailors’ (actually there are many), the real lifestyle is far beyond that. just for added inspiration, if you are reading from Italy, follow Francesco Sena and his boat Piperita on YouTube .. you will definitely want to abandon what you are doing for the big blue sea And if you are sea sick just at the idea of sailing (I know one or two of you reading who just may be), this is just an example of a much simpler life, so you can always try to apply it to your daily living by striving for a more ‘minimalistic’ approach with real connections.. I believe this is step one for a more harmonious and sustainable society.
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