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Old 25-04-2020, 13:36   #1
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Fear and cruising

OK, I am going to get all philosophical here. I was reading a book about the history of Canadian cartography and there was an interesting quote by Albert Camus, who I seem to remember from an introductory humanities course many decades ago was a prominent French existential philosopher. The quote, with a bit of extra context I found, is:

What gives value to travel is fear. It is the fact that, at a certain moment, when we are so far from our own country … we are seized by a vague fear, and an instinctive desire to go back to the protection of old habits … this is why we should not say that we travel for pleasure. There is no pleasure in traveling, and I look upon it more as an occasion for spiritual testing."

I was thinking about this idea wrt cruising. How much of the appeal of cruising, especially over long distances, is facing our fears? What a long distance is will vary from person to person. For some in may be the first time they are out of the sight of land. For others it may be crossing an ocean or rounding Cape Horn.

Another thought I had is that some cruisers, or potential cruisers, try to eliminate all risks. You see many examples on this site with threads discussing, in enormous detail, every possible aspect of boat preparation and operation. At the other extreme are those who just want to go and they will figure it out along the way. Lots of threads about these folks too.

Another take on the question is quite famous, "A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are for." comes from someone named John Shedd in a 1928 book.

A final thought is entirely personal. When I have gone off sailing over the last 50 years I have not thought much at all about personal fear and safety, but I certainly have for my wife and others I have had onboard.
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Old 25-04-2020, 13:48   #2
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Re: Fear and cruising

I wouldn't mistake preparation for fear.

Anyone who goes on an adventure without preparing is depending just a little too much on luck.

But I would say that there is a pleasure in conquering the unknown, or taking the path less traveled.
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Old 25-04-2020, 13:59   #3
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Re: Fear and cruising

And therein lies the difference between people who do; and people who do not.

I have lived in multiple countries, travelled extensively, and sail for the adventure, for the solitude, for the curiosity, the excitement of meeting new people and cultures and experiencing new things in my life, and for the personal challenge.

I prepare the boat to eliminate risks not out of fear, but to be prepared in case some travesty should befall me and my vessel, and not panic or become fearful in an emergency situation. Preparation builds confidence; not fear.

When I read the quote you posted from John Shedd, my first thought was..."this guy was not a sailor." I don't know if he was or he wasn't, but there is lots of evidence to show that a harbor is not necessarily the best place to be in a storm for a small boat....in fact..it might be the worse place to be.

That's at least what a concensus of the voices in my head tell me.
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Old 25-04-2020, 13:59   #4
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Re: Fear and cruising

Or in the alternative, we continue our travels because we fear returning to our home country. A motivation that explains much about migration.
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Old 25-04-2020, 13:59   #5
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Re: Fear and cruising

All kinds of fears wrapped up in a long ocean voyage. This past summer I attempted, 2nd time, a difficult passage. Again I failed, or my engine did, which I truly needed for the 3 days of expected calm.

But what got me was the degree of depression I experienced. In the moment I was unable to put a name to it, and without a name I was ineffective in dealing with it. Once I turned back and got out of the ice and the fog and saw the stars and sun again and the wind blew my way, well all the world was right.

When I attempt that passage again I will be better prepared, for THAT problem. But yet another may surface. Who knows?

Here, in lockdown on the boat, my Wife and I are doing splendidly. But the she noted it was because we were anchored without fear of moving. And that when we need to move she gets scared and grumpy.

It’s always a learning curve.

BTW: WONDERFUL TOPIC
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Old 25-04-2020, 14:03   #6
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Re: Fear and cruising

When we (my partner and I) contemplated the cruising lifestyle we spent some time asking ourselves, and each other, what it was that drove the choice. We spent a lot of time discussing this. It eventually crystallized into this set of terms, CLAFC: Creativity, Learning, Adventure, Freedom & Cessation.

Each of these terms expresses a world of ideas that are important for how me and my partner choose to live.

Creativity is a life-giving view of the world. For me it means seeking new ways of doing things, and simply enjoying the aesthetic of the here and now.

Learning ... never stop learning. Living off the prescribed path is a great way to foster this.

Adventure comes in all forms, be it the big sail, or the small walk. I will never shatter records, discover new things, or challenge the gods of nature in any way, but I do enjoy poking into that unknown cove, or trying that weird looking vegetable.

Freedom drives much of what we do. To me freedom is the ability to do what I want, when I want. It's an ideal which is never full reached, but I can do some things to go toward the Form of Freedom. For me (and not necessarily for anyone else):
• I avoid debt (b/c this is one of the ways our society keeps people chained to the treadmill).
• Keep mechanical & electrical systems simple and/or highly reliable (b/c I'm not much of handyman).
• And live inexpensively, (b/c I'm kinda lazy and don't like wage work).
Cessation is my active way of ceasing to be part of the problem. From over-consumption to financial greed, my society does great harm to the planet we all call home. I don't have the energy to try and save the world, but I can stop being part of the problem (at least to some degree).

Fear, or facing fear, is not directly part of this calculus. Although I suppose there is an implicit "facing of fear" in taking on any new circumstance. I think it requires a bit of courage to step off the path our society lays out for all of us.
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Old 25-04-2020, 14:06   #7
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Re: Fear and cruising

I know i dont post much .
But if i may say that quote hits home for me. Many backpacking trips alone cold hungry lost in the mountains a few time and a bear or two mixed in. Fear makes you feel more alive more aware.
You dont remember the trips that went perfect according to plan. Its the ones where unplaned things happen. That makes you remember and put a smile on your face later when you are safe back home.
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Old 25-04-2020, 14:22   #8
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Re: Fear and cruising

I was not afraid when Jim and I left the States. I had already realized, during one ocean race that if I were more than 5 miles offshore, I was unlikely to be able to swim to safety. Do note, though, that I was merely crew--I did not have the responsibility for the ship and its welfare. That was Jim.

I did, however, learn my style for dealing with my fear, because, yes, there were times when I was afraid. It showed as procrastinating dealing with sail changes, one time. Then I realized, I'd better just go get my harness on, do it, and quit antsing about it. It wasn't going to get easier.

On our boat, in the beginning, whoever was on watch did everything, we didn't get the other one up from sleep for routine sail changes. The reason for this was to preserve rest. I learned a lot ...... Still, looking back on it, I know I felt anxious,sometimes, probably more than I remember. I wrote a limerick about acceptable risk. Like I was considering whether something was too risky. For me, it was like fear came as a punishment for being stupid.

We were becalmed once, only for a day, as it turned out. Took down the sails (to save wear from slatting), and rolled in place, waiting for wind. We didn't think it was important to motor through it, we were more concerned about conserving fuel for when it would be needed. That was not scary. It was an opportunity for a dip in the seemingly bottomless ocean, and to wonder where the big predators were.

For me, the pull of cruising was to view and take part in cultures that were different from my own. So, I guess Camus may have been right for himself, but perhaps not for all cruisers. Jim had a lifelong dream of sailing his own boat to the South Seas. When we got together, I think it was frustrating for him that I didn't share his dream. I was, however, quite content to go along, too, and I hope he doesn't feel badly, now, about that. 'Cause we're all different. We come into and leave the world alone, and are accompanied by others our whole life long.

Ann
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Old 25-04-2020, 14:33   #9
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Fear and cruising

If fear means an unpleasant feeling of anxiety that something bad may happen causing pain or loss or death than I reject that idea. I have in my life engaged in many activities considered by others to be risky. In addition to sailing I have enjoyed whitewater canoeing, kayaking and rafting. I have explored caves and climbed rock faces with little equipment. When I was a kid I use to climb trees and house roofs and jump off of tall things. It was always with the joy and adrenaline rush of seeing what I was capable of doing. I guess I never lost the childish feeling of “ Hey Mom, Look what I can do!” I enjoyed the mastery of the thing, the mastery of myself that allowed me to feel, accomplish and master the challenges I set.

So, fear is not the driving part of cruising for me. Of course there have been more than a few times that the sea and weather have combined to make me afraid. But I think it is experience, mastery, seeing what is just beyond (though that doesn’t have to be afar) and expanding my universe that is my motivation. FDR said, We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” And Mr. Spock said, “Go forth and prosper.”
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Old 25-04-2020, 14:38   #10
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Re: Fear and cruising

10 years old:

Quote:
“ Hey Mom, Look what I can do!”
20 years old
Quote:
Hold my beer.
LOL
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Old 25-04-2020, 14:39   #11
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Re: Fear and cruising

Quote:
Originally Posted by AiniA View Post
OK, I am going to get all philosophical here. I was reading a book about the history of Canadian cartography and there was an interesting quote by Albert Camus, who I seem to remember from an introductory humanities course many decades ago was a prominent French existential philosopher. The quote, with a bit of extra context I found, is:

What gives value to travel is fear. It is the fact that, at a certain moment, when we are so far from our own country … we are seized by a vague fear, and an instinctive desire to go back to the protection of old habits … this is why we should not say that we travel for pleasure. There is no pleasure in traveling, and I look upon it more as an occasion for spiritual testing."

I was thinking about this idea wrt cruising. How much of the appeal of cruising, especially over long distances, is facing our fears? What a long distance is will vary from person to person. For some in may be the first time they are out of the sight of land. For others it may be crossing an ocean or rounding Cape Horn.

Another thought I had is that some cruisers, or potential cruisers, try to eliminate all risks. You see many examples on this site with threads discussing, in enormous detail, every possible aspect of boat preparation and operation. At the other extreme are those who just want to go and they will figure it out along the way. Lots of threads about these folks too.

Another take on the question is quite famous, "A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are for." comes from someone named John Shedd in a 1928 book.

A final thought is entirely personal. When I have gone off sailing over the last 50 years I have not thought much at all about personal fear and safety, but I certainly have for my wife and others I have had onboard.


When I was young I was fearless


After 45 years as a full time sailor , about a half million miles.. I fear everything
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Old 25-04-2020, 14:50   #12
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Re: Fear and cruising

Fear can be an aspect of any activity/adventure. IMO There's nothing wrong with preparation and nothing wrong with being < 100% ready for everything. I also enjoy the relaxation of solitude and going slowly toward a somewhat vague destination and the occasional rush of adrenaline when things don't go exactly as predicted.
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Old 25-04-2020, 14:53   #13
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Re: Fear and cruising

My father had a really great comment to me once upon a time back when i was a young man. To set the scene, my father was a college professor, but he taught outdoors classes such as Rock Climbing, Orientation, etc. along with classroom classes. He taught me how to backpack, camp, travel, and survive in outdoors situations.

He once told me, "Listen to what people have to say, but you don't have to accept it as true just because they said it. There are a lot of people who will tell you at great length what to do without ever having done it themselves."

He would later teach me the second half of that lesson by saying, "All your preparation and planning flies out the window the instant you come around a bend in the trail and see Mamma Bear."

I don't travel to face fear. I plan and prepare to deal with Mr.Murphy. I accept there will be moments I am unprepared despite this, and that I will be afraid. But that's not WHY I do it. I Travel because life is better when I do. I want to experience this world, so I have to go to where the experience is waiting for me. That ain't in the Living Room.
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Old 25-04-2020, 17:21   #14
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Re: Fear and cruising

Interesting topic. My take on travel is that the novel sensations and contexts of new environments force one's attention into the here and now. We temporarily live more fully engaged in the moment until the newness starts to wear off and the brain goes back to it's usual pattern recognition auto mode.... skipping most details. Sailing (especially in a fresh breeze) engages the same mechanism, at least till one gets the first reef in.

As for fear, I think it can be a good thing when it comes to sailing. Fear is the driver behind preparation, vigilance, and conservative risk taking...all good things which make a better sailor. "Reef early and reef often" is emblematic of that thinking.

Without doubt, we would all be better sailors if we had no engines, chartplotters, liferafts, Epirbs or insurance.
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Old 26-04-2020, 05:35   #15
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Re: Fear and cruising

Some very good comments so far. Going back to Camus, he was talking about vague fears from travel, not the 'I am scared sh-tless' type of fear. He was saying that one's challenging of these vague fears is what gives spice to travel and to cruising.

When one takes on one sailing challenge and is successful, one typically is looking for the next one. When we went to the Caribbean the first time, typical early November from the Chesapeake, we had accepted a challenge beyond anything we had done before and it felt great. After a time in the Caribbean it became a question of 'Now what?'. Quite a few years ago I was considering writing a book to explore the difference between risk-taking and thrill seekers. Cruisers are in the first group, they look for challenges but are knowledgeable about what they are doing and (generally) work hard to minimize risk. Thrill seekers are those folks who look for the biggest rollercoaster. They seek an adrenalin rush but the risk management is all done by someone else - i.e. the people who designed and built the coaster.
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