Not TRY SO HARD

 It's been a month since our training aboard the Aeolus started. It has been full of surprises and amazing learning experiences.

 What surprised me the most was learning about the difference between dinghies and cruisers. My history with yachts, though I can't boast about the quality of it, is close to 40 years. The majority of my experience has been on a dinghy(a small yacht with no living quarters). Even after I started riding cruisers, I would tow a sailing canoe called an Aquamuse to ride round the anchorage. People who enjoy dinghies want to go as fast as they possibly can so when there is gust of wind, they would shift their weight to offset the tipping to gain speed. If not done right, the canoe would capsize or they will fall into the water. It happens all the time. So when I take a first-timer out on the dinghy I purposely make them fall into the water with their clothes on so that in the event a gust of wind makes them go overboard, they won't panic. What you need to remember when this happens is to make sure you don't go under the boat, get tangled in the ropes, don't try to swim, stay calm and let yourself float up and breathe. As long as you remember these steps, you will not drown. Obviously, a life jacket is a must. I carry 2 serrated edge knives (you can't cut ropes if the edges aren't serrated), one for backup, just in case my arms or legs get tangled in the ropes.     

　However, what I learned once I started sailing on the Aeolus is; "In heavy winds, you want a flat entry so you want to reef (reduce your sail area) your sails before the wind starts to pick up speed to relieve stress on the boat." It makes sense. Racing boats may do things a differently but our goal is to make it safely to our destination so whether the Aeolus goes 0.1 knots faster or not is irrelevant. If we damage the boat just to go a little faster will only put an end to our voyage. So, in the last month I have been trained to keep in mind that what's important for us to complete our voyage safely is to steer the boat 'gently' and 'not try so hard' 

  However, there's one thing we haven't trained for yet on the 'Safety comes first' Aeolus. That is how to rescue someone who's gone overboard. 

  For when I take my boat out, in the beginning of every season I throw a plastic tank overboard and rescue it pretending I am rescuing a man in the water. When I got the cruiser, my 3 kids were still in kindergarten and early elementary school so I made sure we were prepared for the worst case scenario. I thought I had practiced enough for sail boat emergency stops but I lost my confidence when I got on the Aeolus. The difference in size of my boat and the Aeolus is only about 60 cm but the Aeolus behaves very differently. I can steer my boat just like a dinghy but the Aeolus is a sailing ship. It steers completely differently. To be honest, with my skills right now, I'm not sure if I can make an emergency stop and approach someone in the water gently from upwind with the Aeolus. I hate to say this but if Hiro-san falls into the water in heavy weather and that happens before my very eyes, I'm no sure I will be able to rescue him. And if I fall in, it would probably be impossible for Hiro-san who can't see what's going on to rescue me. So one thing is very clear. Falling into the water is not an option on this voyage. No matter how calm the sea may be, we will have our lifelines attached at all times and we will be responsible for our own safety. I don't think we will do any rescue training on the Aeolus because we know if we fall in, there will be nothing we can do.    

  As I was writing this I remembered something. This is a story in Kenichi Horie's book 'All Alone in the Pacific'. Mr. Horie didn't wear a life jacket when he was crossing the Pacific. His reason for that was; "If I fell in when I'm out there alone, there's no one to save me and wearing a life jacket will only prolong my suffering." Compared to his experience, our voyage is as easy as the two of us riding a bicycle to the convenience store to shop but one thing is the same and that is if we fall overboard there's nothing anyone can do so I will keep bear that in mind, put safety first and 'not try so hard' when sailing. And of course, I will put on a life jacket with a harness. 

  I'd like to thank everyone for all your comments. I watched the video recommended by soomstar about how to sail in rough weather. Aeolus also has the same parachute anchor that was shown in the video. I just hope we never have to use it. What surprised me the most was seeing the same type of boat as the Aeolus sailing 'full sail' in rough waters. I was just amazed at witnessing the full potential of the Aeolus. What a powerful boat, I want to see what it does when I take it to the limit...no, no, I have to stop thinking like that. Safety first. It's hard to 'not try so hard'...don't you think?

Originally posted by Jiro Shinbo in Japanese on 4/27/2013
Translated by SWIS Project