I like group writing projects. They make me think. Today I'm to write a list post on sailing.
I've been on a boat, in Greece. I don't think I'd really call it sailing though. It was more like riding on a boat to an island.
My new friend Yeorgio had a boat - he fished for a living. Over backgammon one night he said he'd take Aggie, Cruzanne and me to this deserted island for lunch. Sounded great to me!
List: why you should NOT go on a boat unless you are prepared.
1. life jackets: okay, so I can swim across the pool. That does not qualify me as a swimmer. We had to swim into shore (about 2 city blocks). Only one life jacket on the boat. I didn't think I'd need it, and besides - the beauty queen had her eye on it. I could have used one to just float for awhile. I was tired! I guess I'm not really a swimmer. (not too mention, what if there was a storm and I got thrown off the boat? fish food)
2. seasickness: There was a beauty queen on the boat with us, at least she thought she was. Yeorgio picked her up the night before. She threw up all the way to the island. Didn't handle the waves well. Did she not know she was prone to seasickness?
3. ladders: To get off the boat you could dive in the water. Not an option for me, not really a swimmer usually means not really a diver either. I used the ladder. This ladder was not straight up and down. It curved around the boat. Getting off was easy enough. Getting back on -- sucked. I had very little upper body strength and I'm big. I got stuck. Yeorgio pulled me on the boat, which was a bit embarrassing.
4. sunburn: The sun reflects off the water and you tend to burn quicker and harder on a boat. I travel with spf 45 and a bandana. I was okay. The beauty queen was not. Her Coppertone tan turned into a fierce sunburn rather quickly. Her scalp was beat red - and I'm sure painful.
Let's extend this list post and consider the lessons learned.
1. be prepared. What idiot gets on a boat without a lifejacket? You can't always listen to your friends, sometimes you have to listen to your own mind!
2. Know your body. Surely the beauty queen knew she'd get seasick. She could have been prepared (see #1) and had dramamine with her.
3. Be in good physical shape. Just a powerful lesson for all of life -- we should walk more, be more physically active. Makes it easier to climb ladders on boats.
4. Wear a hat in the sun. Wherever you are. Skin cancer is no laughing matter.
I realize this was not a list post ESPECIALLY about sailing. I do believe the lessons are still appropriate to being on a sailboat.
pictures: Yeorgio's boat and Aggie and me on the private, deserted island -- why we went in the first place!
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