Jun 10, 2009

The Reality of Sailing

Some people say to us “when you are going to coming back to reality?” My cruising friend, Gary, sent me the following passage in response to the question:

Those who see sailing as an escape from reality have got their
understanding of both sailing and reality completely backwards.

Sailing is not an escape, but a return to and a confrontation of a reality
from which modern civilization is itself an escape.

For centuries, humans suffered from the reality of an earth that was too dark or too hot or too cold for his comfort, and to escape this we invented complex systems of lighting, heating and air conditioning. Sailing returns us to the realities of dark and heat and cold.

Modern civilization has found radio, TV, movies, nightclubs and a huge variety of mechanized entertainment to titillate our senses and help us escape from the apparent boredom of the earth and the sun and wind and stars.

Sailing returns to these ancient realities.


-Robert Prisig

10 comments:

  1. Hoping everything is alright! Can't wait to hear your story.

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  2. It is good to see you AND hug you!

    XXOO Aunt Joni

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  3. Reality or not...Welcome back. It is wonderful to have you both around.
    Love
    Mom Hobart

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  4. Was concerned because we hadn't heard from you for such a long time. Hope everything is o.k. Folks ask about you all the time.
    Ann

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  5. Hope all is well. I have enjoyed reading your blog for a while now, and wish you both the best!
    Melissa

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  6. My wife an I have enjoyed your posts. We hope this is not the end. Your posts, in part, have inspired us to take sailing lessons. We are enjoying it a great deal. Good luck, we will check back in on your blog. thanks.

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  7. Is LeeAnn Pregnant?

    That's my guess.

    All those deserted beach's, all those stories about swimming then eating grapes in the nude, the all over tans. Three month honeymoon in paradise. Something had to happen.

    wink wink.

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  8. Awesome... loved reading about your experiences. I'm just another person who is incredibly envious of the adventure/s you've had. Thanks so much for documenting it for the rest of, and best of luck with whatever comes next.

    -Ben

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  9. hey i have read your entire blog

    i have a few questions if you do not mind answering them


    sorry for the bad spelling



    if you had bought solar panels and did not have to run your generator everyday how much would you say that counter your operating cost?

    how did you learn to sail?

    was finding jobs while at sea difficult?

    are there cost involved with going through the locks?

    what type of paperwork is need to be legal to sail around?

    we you able to keep frozen meats?



    btw your blog was the deciding factor with my lady and i deciding to live at sea

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  10. Hope Robert and you don't mind, stuck it on my blog.

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