Superstition and Sailing
"Should I bring my raincoat ?"
"Yes.........then it won't rain."
Sailors are a superstitious lot. People have been going down with their ships for hundreds of years. The weather, seas, and winds often seem capricious and maddeningly random. As we were coming to the Caribbean in November..........700 miles north a sailboat much like ours was overwhelmed by a storm......a woman was lost overboard.
I've noticed that Kirstin and I are beginning to fall into this trap. Sometimes you even outsmart yourself. If I bring my coat, it won't rain. But if I ask for a table outside (at the restaurant), it will rain. What will happen if I ask for a table outside while wearing my coat ?
A well known sailing proverb tells you to never begin a voyage on Friday. Never. If you tell a cruiser (even someone relatively modern) that you're leaving on Friday they will definitely raise their eyebrows. Friday ? Really ?
Our quirkiness deals less with superstition and more with Neptune. Yes........Neptune. This trident wielding, mermaid-tailed bad-ass who can mess your SH__ up likity split. I've decided that Neptune hates litter. He's a 60's kind of sea god and if you throw anything non-edible (by fish) into the ocean, watch-out. We go to great lengths to NEVER NEVER litter because Neptune may send a 50 ft wave our way. Kirstin even makes us drive out of our way to pick up sea garbage in the dinghy........kind of like getting "get out of jail free" cards from Neptune. Whatever.
Anyway..........I brought cash to this Wifi restaurant because I wanted to pay with my credit card. More to come.
"Yes.........then it won't rain."
Sailors are a superstitious lot. People have been going down with their ships for hundreds of years. The weather, seas, and winds often seem capricious and maddeningly random. As we were coming to the Caribbean in November..........700 miles north a sailboat much like ours was overwhelmed by a storm......a woman was lost overboard.
I've noticed that Kirstin and I are beginning to fall into this trap. Sometimes you even outsmart yourself. If I bring my coat, it won't rain. But if I ask for a table outside (at the restaurant), it will rain. What will happen if I ask for a table outside while wearing my coat ?
A well known sailing proverb tells you to never begin a voyage on Friday. Never. If you tell a cruiser (even someone relatively modern) that you're leaving on Friday they will definitely raise their eyebrows. Friday ? Really ?
Our quirkiness deals less with superstition and more with Neptune. Yes........Neptune. This trident wielding, mermaid-tailed bad-ass who can mess your SH__ up likity split. I've decided that Neptune hates litter. He's a 60's kind of sea god and if you throw anything non-edible (by fish) into the ocean, watch-out. We go to great lengths to NEVER NEVER litter because Neptune may send a 50 ft wave our way. Kirstin even makes us drive out of our way to pick up sea garbage in the dinghy........kind of like getting "get out of jail free" cards from Neptune. Whatever.
Anyway..........I brought cash to this Wifi restaurant because I wanted to pay with my credit card. More to come.