Sailing dreams again....

[arwen_lune]

This does seem to be a recurring theme in my dreams, both alseep and awake. For my story research I came across a lot of replica's of 16-18th centure tall ships. Ones such as the HMS Bounty, the HMS Rose and the Lady Washington. These ships sail. Some of them have gone commercial, others like the Bounty and the Lady Washington, are owned by non-profit organisations and do educational work. They employ a skeleton crew and the rest is volunteers.

I've been reading the logs and stories and it seems like such a wonderful way to spend time. It's hard work but rest, as it were, for the soul.

Sometimes I wonder... if I could choose between a life with a nice farm and a bit of land and some horses.. and cats and dogs, just a nice little place to ride and breed from and such... or a life of sailing on one of those gorgeous ships.. what I would chose. Which is silly, because neither is realistic. But they exclude each other. Complete opposites. From settled in the ultimate sense, with having to arrange caretakers if you want to have a weekend away, to a lifetime of drifting.

These ships - we have them over here too, though they are either (currently) stationary like the Batavia or commercial like the Europa - they sometimes take on crew. So you could, and I know people do this, apply for a position in the crew of one, stay with it until you run into another ship you like (and there are things like Tall Schip Challenge where these vessels meet) and just keep going in that manner.

I want to go to a ship, ask for a position on the crew, and be taught all the sailing of a ship like that. And I want to keep going, see all places, and do it in that manner. Not by plane where you don't experience anything of the journey. But by ship, where the wind is important and the waves can make all the difference, and where you can estimate when you will arrive somewhere by way of "Oh, the day after tomorrow, if the wind stays with us".

You don't build anything that way. But it's intensely appealing. And I know where this recurring longing comes from - every time life feels like a heavy load it returns. So it's probably just my way of reacting to pressure by dreaming of a life with little external pressure. But knowing that doesn't take the longing away...

My study first. Maybe after that... a few years sailing? I do not know. Part of me fears of liking it so much I couldn't stop again.

But that's what the new avatar is for. Bring me that horizon. That line always connects with me.

Comments

[anejo.livejournal.com]

The Sail Training Association (http://www.sta.org.uk) do week-long trips on their two brigs, where you learn all the basic skills of sailing. If you do want to learn how to sail a tall ship, they're considered one of the best groups to do it with.

I'm planning on doing a couple of weeks with them once I'm healthy.

That is neat...

[arwen-lune.livejournal.com]

I wasn't aware that they're in the UK also, I only found US links to them. Do I still count as 'young person' once my study is done, I wonder? (sees they also have things for adults)
It would probably be a good place to start the adventure, I guess. It's not cheap but once you have done some time with them, and you're still into it, you could apply at other ships....

I may have found someone near here who is willing to teach me to sail a small vessel... it's not the same but it'll be interesting to learn, an advantage later on, and a way to still the sailing-dreams a little, I hope ;-) I'm just not one of those lucky people who grew up with sailing...

I'll eagerly await reports from your voyage! Get well soon :-)