It s nice to be returning. As we tick off the days, we also peel off the layers of winter clothing. Cockpit sponge baths and quick, daring rinses over the side help keep us fresh as newborns. I think of the questions our nonsailing friends often ask about long-distance sailing. Or perhaps they think we simply drop anchor wherever we are when night falls.
Many mariners believe in luck, so superstitions result.
Here are a few. Renaming a boat is thought to portend bad luck. But if Stinkeroo must go, an unnaming ceremony and a separate renaming ceremony are in order. Setting sail on a Friday is thought to be unwise, because Friday is a day of potential bad luck. The animals had a tendency to eat hemp lines.