Shower

by John Curnow, Editor, Sail-World AUS on 10 Jul 2017 Nobody would suggest that sailors came down in the last shower. Then again, any individual who goes outside into the big blue on a little bit of plastic probably does deserve to have their mental aptitude questioned at the very least. Things have improved over time with stronger equipment, better forecasting, and certainly better apparel. Ultimately its not exactly the most logical of paths the pursue. Good thing the benefits of serenity, thrills, adventure, voyaging, mateship and terrific tales have managed to outweigh the concerns since the time of the Minoans.

One of the tales that never gets spoken about too much is the first shower after a Hobart. Recently I found something that may even eclipse that particular joy, simply because it was even more euphoric, and I definitely went through an even bigger challenge to get my reward. The hot water soothed the aches in the back like a million Asian girls walking all over you, and the steam cleared the head way better then the first can at Constitution Dock ever did. I still held the walls up, but it wasn’t because of the residual swaying from days on board. It was more to do with joy and reinvigorated muscles feeling ten foot tall and bullet proof once more.

Seeing as this is all about showers, those mid-oceanic crew-based sessions underneath the mainsail in the middle of a massive rainstorm certainly stay in your memory. Perhaps it’s because who would have ever thought that hysterical laughter would be indelibly linked to such a simple task. Furthermore, usually stomping on the deck meant it was time to get up for a sail change, and that was always in the dark, and with a heinous storm trying to smash you. From all of that you get to take away that it’s also good to have yet another fun memory, instead of just tales of woe.

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All of this talk about showers makes you think of one person who would certainly appreciate a nice warm one about now. Lisa Blair is down in the Southern Ocean steadily making her way back to OZ. In a couple of weeks she will be in Western Australia once more, and despite her setbacks, she has pushed on famously. So good on her, and all the people who helped make her particular adventure the stuff of great tales, and not the follies that came down in the last shower.

Moving on smartly then, and it is good to see the take up for the Sails For Kids programme. On July 16, Carl Crafoord will be at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia to take your unwanted sails and turn them into cash for youth sailing at the club. In August, it will be the turn of the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron and the Southport Yacht Club, so stand by for the dates there. AUS Sailing needs to get fully behind this, now, and get the clubs to make contact with sailexchange.com.au, and Carl will help keep kids sailing away merrily.

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