Sailing

Here's a piece about Jessica Watson, a teenager who's currently doing a solo sea voyage, and other sailors who've done the same with often times dubious results:
http://www.rogersandall.com/jessica-jesse-joshua-and-the-cruel-sea/.

I don't know. I've read the entire 21 (or is it, 22?) books of the Patrick O'Brien "Aubrey Maturin" series as well as all of Forester's "Hornblower" books and other sailing stories like "Heart of the Sea" about the whale ship, Essex and stuff about Shackleford's expedition and I still don't understand sailing at all. Oh, I appreciate it and think I get the whole respect of the sea thing but if you asked me today how to sail a boat or what happens when you tug on a specific line, I have no clue--trying to make me understand the dynamics of the craft is like reasoning with a pig. Pathetic and sure evidence of a lame, public school education but there you have it. I'm really awful at the entire grasp of physics concept and knots and tying things have been a lifelong source of frustration to me and those unfortunate to have had to rely on me to properly secure the boat to the pier or securely tie something that you wish not to blow away from the top of a vehicle. My brother in law knows this and whenever we're approaching the dock after a fishing session, he'll station me somewhere clearly away from where we'll need to tie off, busying me with counting shrimp in the live well or getting him a beer or some other urgent task. I do know a couple of fishing knots and can tie them pretty well but that's about it. My old man (and my brother in law) was a master knot tier and seemed to have a knot for any occasion, like if you needed to affix a recently deceased bighorn ram along with a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader to a '68 straight six Chevy truck, he'd know what to do and would have a specific knot that he would expertly tie on that could be unfastened with a simple tug at one end. I always sat dully amazed, breathing out of my mouth watching the exercise. Whenever he'd retrieve the garden hose or a rope or anything similar, it would come back all neatly wound and ready for future deployment, unlike the tangled mass of misery you encounter when I'm on the job. Probably a good thing that Mrs. Bulba doesn't go in for the S&M stuff (I could probably be talked into it) or else we'd have to call the law to get her out of something I rigged up. Bastard knots--the world has profited by me not being at sea. Just like the help desk at Bondage, Inc.