How we came to desire a sailboat.
Jun 11th, 2008 by Kristi
It started like this:
When Will was a kid he went to summer camp. While at summer camp he got to go sailing. Years and years later, he swore to me that sailing was the best THING EVER and he would never be happy unless he got a sailboat. Ok…not exactly in those words, but he was adamant that sailing was awesome and I couldn’t prove otherwise.
I went to summer camp, too. And I have my own memories of sailing. They were of me hating the stupid life jacket I was wearing and ducking to avoid the boom thingy and feigning deafness so I wouldn’t have to help do the actual sailing in any way. I was not yar.
So how did my previous ambivalence towards the sport of sailing give way to a hearty endorsement? It took awhile. Will was set on sailing as soon as he saw the beautiful lake in our backyard. And anytime your husband gets enthusiastic about something, especially when that something isn’t violent video games and that something can potentially involve the whole family, you tend to come around, even if you’re really not all that interested in the first place. So we visited a marina last summer, just out of curiosity. Here’s a synopsis of what happened:
Us: Kids! Stop running on the docks! You’re going to drown!
Various older couples: Are you looking for a sailboat?
Us (shuffling our feet): Uhh…yeah…kinda…we’re…uh….just….uh…sorry to bother you…
Various older couples: We started sailing when our children were this age. We all learned how to sail together. Sailing was the best thing we ever did as a family. (Various older couples hug and confirm their lifelong love for one another. I shed a silent tear.) You have to get a sailboat! The kids will just love sailing! You have to do it for your family! (Chanting) SAIL-ING! SAIL-ING! SAIL-ING!
Once more, the conversations didn’t exactly happen that way. But that was definitely the gist…sailing was the best thing that ever happened to them. Family after family. And looking around on that beautiful, beautiful day, I thought…why not? Why couldn’t we be that family? And that’s when I came around. Now I am yar.
So we have a countdown in place. In approximately 7 months we will have paid off our Dodge Caravan. At that time, and no sooner, we will finance the purchase of a sailboat. A thirtyish year old O’Day, apparently. In the meantime, I try to picture myself looking very Katharine Hepburnish and not throwing up over the side of the boat from the motion sickness. I picture my husband knowing exactly how to sail the thing and not yelling at me for pulling the wrong rope and nearly killing us all. I picture my children wearing their life jackets and having the time of their lives, not begging to go home and puking all over each other and also me as I try to pull the wrong rope. And I will not, I repeat, will not, watch Swiss Family Robinson, Joe vs the Volcano, Titanic, The Posiedon Adventure, Mutiny on the Bounty or Lifeboat until then. Or Gilligan’s Island, but I wouldn’t watch that show anyway because it was so stupid. That’s right, I said it. Stupid.
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Ahoy! What will you name her?
I’m with you–I’d either have to be hooked up to an IV of Bonine or I’d be vomiting the entire time. I love the ocean; I will explore the ocean in many ways, but I am not a boaty person. The very thought of it makes me seasick. So… good luck with that.
I’ve had all sorts of enchanting suggestions, # 1 is The True Love. # 2 is Redemption Song. #3 is Three Little Birds. #4 is The Kristi Mae…the list goes on and on. He’s not going for my list.
Stupid is right. And at least the very first time you go out, you’ll have that bottle of champagne for your boats christening….Well, okay, you have to break that one, but maybe you can bring along a spare.
Maybe next time we’re passing through the area, Mr. J. can be a passenger on your sailboat since even if the whole world was chanting at me, I’d still say NO to getting one.
We can’t break glass in the lake! What about the fish? Mer, back me up on this one…
But there will be champagne on the boat. Oh, yes. There will be champagne on the boat. And I bet you’d get on a sailboat of you could get a cute little sailor suit. I know I’m looking forward to wearing mine.
I’m so flattered to get a shout-out! I was going to leave a comment on motion sickness before I read all the way down! Yep, I concur: don’t break a bottle over your boat. But not because of the fish as much as the litter (and broken glass!) factor. Honestly, I don’t think broken glass and/or champagne will hurt the fish a bit, but it’s more about passing the legacy down to your kiddos of making sure beautiful places stay beautiful.
On to motion sickness: pick a stationary point on the horizon and STARE at it like your life (or lunch) depends on it. Speaking from experience!
Oh I can’t wait for the Katherine Hepburn-ish photos…with a little pukey pukey on the corner of your lip.
;p
Oh I can’t wait for the Katherine Hepburn-ish photos…with a little pukey pukey on the corner of your lip. Just take some Dramamine - it’ll make you sleepy at first but it works wonders for me on our boat.
;p
I loooove things that make me sleepy. And ps Elaine, I saw the cute little houseboat you are coveting. Adorable. I’d go for that sort of thing if my husband wasn’t such a sailor.
I was searching for a sailboat when I found your comments. I am looking for a Dingie that has a sail. I told my wife, “a Dingie would fit right in with this family”. She is sold on the idea of sailing. We plan to buy a Catamaran. They have less rolling motion. That will be important when your lunch is returning!
well maybe he can sail over to my houseboat and drop you off. I’ll have a margarita waitin’ for ya.