After 779 days continuously at sea, he writes in his blog post:
An Evolution of Sailing
From my humble, fragile, delicately balanced position at sea it appears to me that most of the world sees sailing as an exclusive activity for rich white men.
100 years ago as working sail died out and faded as a necessity of life we were left with the myth, history, poetry, song and legacy of Melville and Conrad. Wealthy men began racing and kept sailing from fading from the modern world.
Since then sailing has evolved along with man’s scientific knowledge. As man strives to sail faster and faster, boats have become sleeker and more built for speed, and the songs and figureheads have been left behind. In the 21st century it seems the common sailor has been left out entirely as corporations have taken over boatcrafting to market racing. We have forgotten that nature and the spirit never hurry.
The Tao and other ancient wisdom says, “Racing maddens the mind”. Racing hurries over the face of the sea driven by more and more money. After a lifetime of meeting sailors, I have come to realize that for many, it is the only way they think they can get out on the water. Then those that do manage to go on their own are so influenced that they think they have to go fast.
My reaction to this is to act out the ancient fables like Aesop’s “The Tortoise and the Hare”. The things that I discover match the metaphors of sailing myth, song, poetry and our soul’s longing for distance.
If sailor’s goals were to search for our hearts highest longings and sailors made an effort to share this, then sailing could be perceived as a beneficial activity for the betterment of humankind.
This Chi process of living in reverence to tradition and spirit, once reincorporated into sailing will make sailing and those doing it evolve. More inspired people will feel joy, then let their spirits free to voyage on any waters and space to eternity: This is a course I propose we set in our sailing and life endeavors.