The Sea and the Sail

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I totally for got to talk about the time I actually got to go sailing in Juneau. My buddy's Dad had a sail boat and I got to run the jib sheet (the one in front of the mast) it was super cool cause you had to switch sides every time you tacked back and forth, Mr. Adamson would call out "tack!" and I'd undo the jib rope from around the cleat i had it on and duck under the [boom]
as it swung across the deck, then I'd have to adjust it tight again and tie it down. So yeah... I'm kind of a sailor *buffs nails on shirt*
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When ever I go back to Juneau or down to 'the chik' (Ninilchik) I always love being on the ocean, or just by the ocean. Something about the nature of the sea brings me to life. Its un-tameable, restless, beautiful, emotional, able to inspire deep peace and terrible despair, (not unlike a woman (tee hee ^^)

I remember the summer I fished in down in the chik how much I loved being on the water at all hours of the night and day. It was cool getting up really early in the morning and coming back to shore about 7am watching the sun rise over the surging water and shine through the patchy gray sky. I always felt closer to God for some reason when we would go out into the water on the boat totally and literally dependent upon his pleasure to give us fish. It was also really cool to pull into the shore knee deep in them and load them up into the fish bins to get carried off to the cannery. Big dollar signs raking up in my mind. Ha! I actually made like next to nothing for the six weeks I worked about $1300 If I remember right. I knew it would happen but I don't care. In case you hadn't noticed I'm more about making memories during the summer than making money.


Ok I said all this to talk about the real passion that's been brewing in my mind. Sailing...



I'm gonna paint a picture in you mind. You're in your 50s, you're retired, your kids are all off on their own so you sell you house and you and your green eyed lady/big steamy man buy a $250,000 sailboat and take on a 2 year long trip to circumnavigate the Americas. Start in Anchorage or Settle and sail all the way down to the Straight of Magellan back up the east coast and then sell the thing in newfoundland, or just turn around and come back. You could cruise all day, or drop anchor in any little cove or deserted beach you wanted to check out. You could swim all the time, fish, eat local, weather storms, break down, make due and do without. Oh, and imagine the variety of coffee you could try out in south America. It'd be even better to do it with your kids.

I heard about a family who did that and instead of only reading about Aztec ruins they got off the boat and check then out. Instead of only reading about constitution hall the went on a tour when they were in the neighborhood, I guess the kids were pretty smart, (NO TV I think). Then theirs the possibility of going transoceanic, which you can do in a 12 foot boat if you've salty enough. Seriously imagine waking up early every morning and seeing the sunrise from the deck of your bright white boat and then unfurling the sails and watching the wind grab them and pull them taught then feeling the tug of the mast on your small bark.

The book "The Count of Monte Cristo" is kind of romanticizing sailing for me lately, as well as french culture and language (both of which are okay to like as the French were critical in the revolutionary war, lest we forget;)

I realize the practical problem of never being in church but a guy can dream can't he?

I found this video that of some family out sailing, they're all drinking at the end so its kinda lame but the beginning of the video I super cool.

For those of you who think that Fairbanks is the "real Alaska" I implore you to reconsider so as not to appear foolish before those more educated.