Why We Love Sailing

[Jamaica Rose]

This was passed on to me by me good friend Joe Row.

--Jamaica Rose

"Why We Love Sailing"

PRESEASON REFRESHER COURSE

To best prepare yourself for the sailing season I recommend these time tested exercises:

1. Buy a case of beer, sit it in a very warm place for a several hours, then drink it.

2. Apply sunscreen to your face in streaks and sit in front of a sun lamp for two hours.

3. Sit on a bench with large metal screws, bolts and other fixtures that protrude into your butt and legs, stare straight up into the sun for two

hours. For a more robust workout, invite 4 friends to come over and yell at you the whole time.

4. Go to bank and withdraw $1,000 - then light it on fire. Repeat as necessary.

5. Take a large duffel bag. Fill it with enough clothes for a weekend, then fill it with water. Put on and take off every article of clothing in the

bag while standing on a rocking chair.

6. Take your wrist watch, pound it repeatedly against a metal pipe and drop it into the sewer, then try to fish it out.

7. Pour ice water in your lap and give yourself a wedgie, Now alternate between hopping on and off a rocking chair.

8. Put on rain/foul weather gear. Lay down in the driveway. Have a friend spray a garden hose at full blast at you while you roll up and down

the driveway for a hour. Stop. Attempt to take a nap for 15 minutes with the hose still on you, then repeat the exercise.

9. Make 12 sandwiches on white bread with bad meat and cram them into a bread bag. Leave them in the sun for 12 hours. Then, eat them all

at once washing them down with the beer from Number One.

10. Tie ropes to rear bumper of friend's car, hold on tightly, but allow rope to slip through fingers as car drives away. TIP: works best without gloves and rope lengths in excess of 50'.

11. Upon completion of previous 10 drills - sit down and drink 14 Mt Gay Rum drinks, any flavor. Without brushing your teeth, attempt to strike up a conversation with anyone who accidentally makes eye-contact with you.

[capnwilliam]

Aye, Jamaica, the only sailing I've done is on a lake in a wee nutshell pram that my wife owns and helped build (I call it a "bathtub boat"). It's docked in her father's boat house in Alabama and we're in New Orleans. The few occasions we've gone to play with it, we've had the deuce of a time getting it out to the middle of the lake, and an even worse time getting it back to the dock (had to be towed on at least one occasion).

I'd rather do my sailing aboard a bigger vessel that's crewed by people who know what they're doing! We're thinking about taking a Windjammer cruise, if we can get the funds together.

Does anyone on the list have any experience sailing with Windjammer? Or better yet, aboard a historic sailing vessel?

Capt. William

[Captain Luigi]

hehehehehe. Jamaca, I love yer drills. Mind if I use that at our next gathering before a sail?

[Capt. Flint]

Dearest Rose.... if one survives those drills, then they can handle anything. Wait a minute..... that was handling everything; wasn't it? By the way; what happen to the drill of deciding weather to fish or have your bait for supper........ and this was the fun part of sailing.... The Capt.

[Capt. Westyn Elizabeth Roberts]

Miss Rose,

You forgot part of your drill...

Climb up a tall wobbly pole and have one person shake the pole, one person hose you with water and someone else zap you with several thousand volts of electricity, to simulate the crow's nest during an electrical storm.

Hope I helped make yer sailors tougher.

Sincerely, and with the utmost respect,

Capt. Westyn Elizabeth Roberts

[Capt. Westyn Elizabeth Roberts]

"Why I love sailing," by Capt. Roberts:

I love sailing with the bright ocean's sheen

In the lowered light of the Caribbean sun

With the faces of the swabs a turnin' green

It surely is a lot of fun.

If I could turn back time

And wish upon a star

I'd make mine on the brine

And loot some gold, arrgh!

Disrespectfully yours,

Capt. WE Roberts

[Capt. Flint]

Why I love sailing...... just to be a bit more on the serious side ( for once ) I truly do love sailing as it reminds me of my wedding day. My most fair Katey O' and I were married on an 80 year old schooner, out at sea, at sunset, in front of Fort McHenry. The Capt. of the boat performed the ceremony and yes it is perfectly legal. It was a glorious night. We sailed around for about three hours and had the reception right after the wedding on the boat. The wind was blowing and there was a slight chill in the air as we set out, but, on the return, the air calmed and warmed up and it was simply the best day and night of my entire life..... and that is why I love sailing. How about the rest of you? Is there one special sea adventure that your particularly fond of? Let us know.... if you want.... The Capt.

[capnwilliam]

Aye, Capt. Flint, nothing I could say could top that beautiful memory of yours. But my wife and I had fun just this past week, going out on a modern trimaran (that's a 3-hulled catamaran), and on a 70 foot schooner for an evening pirate cruise.

Capt. William

:)

[Coastie04]

I'd go for the schooner any day. However, this week I'll have to make do with a modern J-35. If any o' ye'll be in the Newport, RI area, I'll be sailin' the fine vessel 'Diva' this weekend in a 'round the bouy race and we'll be in port most of the week before sailing in the NYYC annual regatta in Newport. Stop in and say hi if ye be around.

Coastie04

[Capt. Westyn Elizabeth Roberts]

Oh, all right, Capt. Flint. Ye twisted me arm....

The reason I love sailing...

When I was younger (9/10), I was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia. I lost all of my hair due to the chemotherapy and most of my self esteem. A little while later, my hair started to come back. When I was about eleven years old and still getting periodic treatments, my mom, my aunt and my cousin all took me from our home in middle Tennessee to Gulfport, Mississippi for some fun. It was all great, but the most fun I had while I was there was taking a short cruise. It wasn't a pirate ship or a magnificent sailing vessel. Just a simple little tour boat.

Well, while I was on board, I remember sitting down as close to the edge as I could. I stuck my legs through the rails and then just closed my eyes. For that simple, beautiful moment in time, I forgot about the leukemia. I forgot about the painful treatments. All I knew was that this was the most wonderful thing ever. Both relaxing and exciting at the same time.

Then, when the dolphins started racing with the boat, I loved it. They would race and then jump playfully out of the water. And, the area that they kept up with was right where I was. I thought maybe they might be a sign that I would be okay.

Now, nearly twenty years later, I'm okay (or as okay as I can get). I'm in complete rumission. I'm going to have my 29th birthday on Friday with family and friends. Sea Bob will be there, and I couldn't be happier. So, I guess the reason I like sailing is because it was then that I realized I was gonna be okay.

Arrrgh! So, there, you scurvy dogs! Ye made me a little weepy! Hope yer happy!

Capt. WE Roberts