Life is Sailing

I have learned I need to be decisive but smooth. Watch for signs that indicate it’s time to prepare to center the tiller, like when the jib comes to center. “Break!” The jib action is a telltale sign when you’re in a bigger boat, like the Rainbow I sailed today with my husband and two of our kids. When I learned to sail a Topper, there was no jib. “Push the tiller toward the sail. The boom switches sides. Center the tiller. Move/jump to the other side.” These were the commands that I repeated over and over in my head as I learned how to tack.

The way we tack (switch sides of the wind direction) as we head toward our destination (or life goal) depends on what type of boat we sail. Are we a one-person boat, sailing solo going through life without a lot of extra responsibility? Are we two? What about when a baby comes along? Maybe a boat that fits five or more? How big our boat is (how large our ohana is) affects how we go about changing directions.

We always need to maintain speed through a tack or change in direction. We should move decisively and smoothly. However the size of the boat and the number of crew affect how the tack will be performed. Communication becomes critical, as does following the directions of the one in charge.