The Wishing Well

Many years have past since man has taken boats out on the sea, to refer to the Irish Monks here, in time of 545 AD when boats were not made of steel, but of oak and leather, when the sea had monsters and birds could talk, this was a time when men ventured to new and distant land.  And still in our distant history after Vikings and explorers left their homes to reach new places, to venture into the unknown we see the larger ships now of sturdy and of power, the sail boats of the story books and romantic paintings, the ships that would take travelers to their new homes. Mariners making there livings, supporting the lives of many. American triumphs signaled the end of British maritime supremacy. Lives lost, treasures at the bottom of the seas, piracy and the chance to discover the lands of far away places.

There are many kinds of sail boats to name a few: Sail boats, Catamarans, Pirate Ships, Yachts, fishing boats, whaling boats, sunfish sailing boats, wooden sailboats, and even the ghost pirate ships. And my favorite cruising sail boats. After several stories about sailors and the boats they have sailed the 20 to 40 sail boat seams to be a popular choice among many. For single handling this is the boat that can take one around the world if one so chooses.

Sea Fever

John Masefield (from Salt-Water Ballads, 1902)

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by, And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking, And a gray mist on the sea’s face, and a gray dawn breaking. I must down go to the seas again, for the call of the running tide Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied; And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying, And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying. I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life, To the gull’s way and the whale’s way, where the wind’s like a whetted knife; And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover, And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over. The many skills acquired by the sailor, some being navigation, to sail by a course either from the map or charts as they are called or to use the stars to navigate by which the best have learned which requires the skill of reading a sextant. Another skill would be sailing in the wind, so that your boat takes to the direction that you want it to go. The sail handling is how this skill is mastered and requires reading the tales, placing your sails in the direction in the wind and tacking correctly. Sailing or mooring also requires that one must use ropes and knots. Many different types of knots are used, the art of tying knots is something a knowledgeable sailor should acquaint himself with. This fine art entails many knots some listed here are: single hitch, round turn and two half hitches, double fishermans's Knot, zeppelin bend, heaving line, rolling hitch, halter hitch, mariner's knot, penberthy knot, munter mule,chinese lanyard knot, boa knot,  bowline, Spanish bowline, ocean plait, ringbolt hitching, eight-strand square plait. The list goes on, the work is detailed and used in so many ways. The work and skills of sailors throughout the world, throughout time is an art a craft and treasured by so many.