Dublin, Ireland. Here’s something I wrote last year, after arriving in Greece from Vancouver.

So… Here I am in Greece, again. The poorest country in Europe, apparently. I don’t know. All I know is the people are incredibly friendly, and I had dinner and wine last night for €8. Last week I was in the Down Town East Side of Vancouver and €8 might get you a hint of of wine. Besides all the beautiful people taking selfies, the buzz of urban life, and the lovely aromas of food, the homeless situation in Vancouver is at breaking point.

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Galway, Ireland. Having been involved in sailing for around a quarter-century at this point (and still learning), I have discovered some interesting facets about the activity which aren’t necessarily documented in the numerous books on sailing.

The first and most important quirk about sailing, is that it hates a schedule. If you’re like me, your life is divided up into little chunks of time. Each one calling on us to perform a specific function at a specific date and time. I know I’ve written about the free feeling you get when released from schedules, but it actually goes further than that.

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In less than a week, we fly (once again) to Corfu. As Tim documented on his blog, the usual route from Ireland to Nydri (where Nikea lives) is via Corfu. Aer Lingus fly around once or twice a week from Dublin to Corfu. From there, a quick taxi ride from the airport brings you to the sea port in Kerkira (or Corfu town), where ferries leave for Igoumenitsa on the Greek mainland about every thirty minutes. From there, it’s either a taxi or a one-way car rental to Nydri and on to Vlicho. All in all, it’s something of a long day, with an early flight out of Dublin (and a two hour time difference). The flight departs at around 6AM Irish (Summer) time, and we’ll arrive at the boat, around 5PM (Greek time).

Of course, who notices all that travelling when your destination is a sailboat in the Ionian Sea?

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In this part of the world, unless your boat is kept in a marina, your insurance becomes invalid from the 1st of November until the 31st of March unless the boat is lifted out of the water and stored on dry land. Seeing as we don’t actually have the kind of climate which makes sailing an appealing pastime during that five month window, it’s a reasonable compromise. It means that you work on the boat during the cold and dark winter months, while dreaming of the promise of a warm summer, playful breezes, and seven months of almost-constant sailing. That the reality is far-removed from this idyll is a topic for another day.

At the start of each sailing year, I would write down all of the jobs I wanted to get done prior to launch. Invariably, as the weeks and months roll on and the magical launch date of April 1st (no doubt that date was chosen by the insurance companies with no amount of mirth) draws ever closer, the list gets altered. You see, it’s not a simple TODO list. There is a list entitled “Jobs To Be Done In Order To Launch” and a list euphemistically entitled “Jobs To Be Done After Launch.” This is boat-speak for “Jobs Which Won’t Get Done At All, Ever!_”

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I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;

And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,

And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,

And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.

By JOHN MASEFIELD

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