Race 2 - Day 22
Crew Diary - Race 2 Day 22
10 October
My first sailboat was as beautiful as the new Swan 65 of the time, and as adventurous as the famous Ra, built by straw by Thor Heyerdahl himself. My first boat was the dream yacht of my brother and me. We sailed it, rebuilt it and sailed it again for a few summers in the 70’s. And we loved it! To the untrained eye, however, our dear yacht may have just been a pile of old logs, sticks, and unneeded planks on a hill behind a summerhouse being built.
In this boat, my brother and I manifested our sailing dreams, by experiencing some of the most important feelings of adventure and achievements rumbling the high seas. Together we concurred storms, pirates, and sea monsters all in freezing cold and wet. Every challenge brought us new ways to take care of our boat, each other, and the occasional passengers we had with us. We loved every hoist, tack, and reefing, mimicking the language and behaviour of our parents sailing the family Folk boat, that we both knew without it being explained.
Yes, sometimes our little sister was allowed to join, but only as a baby or a dog, not as a real sailor, because she was only 2. Nobody else could join, not even know about this boat. They would not have understood. They would only have seen a pile of logs, sticks, and unneeded planks on a hill behind a summerhouse being built.
My current boat is called UNICEF, CV28. It is the most beautiful boat rumbling the seven seas, and together with my new sisters and brothers we’re living our sailing dreams, experiencing important feelings of achievements together. Personally, so far, my achievements have been becoming better on the helm, enjoying more and fear less, and baking good bread onboard! But it’s only us onboard this beautiful yacht who truly understand these achievements without any further explanations. The untrained eye will always focus on the inconvenience of no showers, cleaning heads at a 45-degree angle, or climbing onto a wet and cold deck for the dog watch at 3 a.m. The things that aren’t part of normal life, but the things that make this experience special and memorable for us.
The experiences that make us, the crew on my beautiful boat, special and memorable.