Challenge: One Word About Sailing

[BlueSovereign]

May I suggest everyone who has posted here look up the definition of "self-actulaization" ... I suspect it succinctly sums things up ....

[GeoPowers]

Home.

[roger.waite]

Serenity.

Particularly when actually at sea.

Given tyrannies of weather, sea and other mistresses I just can't live with freedom!

"He who would have much to do, let him take a boat or a woman!"

[gbendaly]

Originally Posted by Jolly Roger

Whilst recently waxing eloquent about the joys of sailboats and sailing, a friend (cynic that he is), shut me up by asking for one word, which epitomized my interest, (he used the word fixation), with sailing and boats. I had to think a bit, but finally decided on ‘anticipation.’ This being the skill difference between a good sailor, who anticipates every possible eventuality, and one who gets himself in all sorts of otherwise anticipated messes - which others often have to help out with .
I thought this might be an interesting exercise for those like me…..with nothing else to do.
One word only, OK. Explain if you wish, but only one word - which sums up sailing for you.

obsession

[roger.waite]

Yeah.

Someone called me obsessive once, but I had no time to check out why.

I was too busy working on the boat ...

[James S]

I like obsession....good one gbendaly!

[anglooff]

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

[Rhosyn Mor]

..sex

[Ex-Calif]

emancipation

[Amgine]

::shrug:: What fascinates me about sailing is... sailing. And all the preparation, compromise, skill, trials and errors, challenge, accomplishment, failure, frustration, ecstasy and other nouns/adjectives/verbs it encompasses.

[waterdog]

escapevelocity

[Celestialsailor]

Broke!!!

[MarkJ]

ROTFL!

[NautiHippie]

Love
of the sea
of the changes
of the challenges
of different cultures
of freedom
of all creatures
of all people(even the really annoying ones!)

[Hiracer]

Sensual.

This word has multiple meanings, and not all are applicable. It comes loaded with sexual and moral connotations.

But at rock bottom it means pertaining to, inclined to, or preoccupied with the gratification of the senses or appetites.

When I'm on the boat I am first and foremost a sensual creature.

I smell and taste the salt air, the kelp beds, the baking of bread in the galley. I hear the seagulls. My skin feels the cold damp air of a winter's day, the chill of the wind, the sun's warmth in the summer. The boat she talks to me. I search out her every whisper and respond immediately, whatever her concern might be. I obsess over the interface between the two fluid mediums, air and water, which suspends my vessel. My equilibrium can feel the sea state without looking, a lurch sends me topsides to assess. I know in a heartbeat when the rhythm of the diesel is wrong, the crack of a sail off, when the thud of a log on the keel announces its presence. My berth near the anchor chain allows me to subconsciously hear its dialogue all night and wake instantly if it's not right. I detect the quality of the set through my foot, the amount of weatherhelm through my hands. I sweat to raise sail, raise anchor, raise hell. Who can deny that food tastes best afloat, beer more satisfying after a brisk sail? My sleep at anchor is nothing short of profound.

My senses are more engaged at sea than any other time of my life. I become completely sensual. It is the antidote to the damn computer on which I now type.