We decided to sail South and not stop until the butter melted on the plate. As we sailed away from Annapolis on that cold November morning, I looked back over my shoulder at the town and the traffic and knew my life would never be the same. Jim steered, I hauled the sails and as the little ketch gathered speed I knew I was a child of the wind forever. We could point the bow in any desired direction and Mother Nature would take us there. The Force was truly with us and we were one with it.
Sailors are a special breed.
One of the the most important lessons they must learn however, is to make the forces of Mother Nature work for them instead of against them. The accomplished sailor knows how to efficiently harness the power of these forces by regulating how they interact with his rig, sails and rudder. Your boat, your sails, your rudder and you are totally in balance. Then, you are hooked for life. Each and every time I see a sailing vessel underway I can't help but look at the sail trim, the tune of the rig and the way the boat is being steered relative to the prevailing wind.