Hurry Up and Slow Down!

The slow pace of sailing is a feature, not a bug. If you are in a hurry, take a plane not a sailboat. The fastest racing sailboats on the market with full crew will go about as fast as I can go on a casual ride on my bicycle. I did not get into sailing to get places quickly.

The whole point of the sport is to slow down and enjoy the process of working with the wind, current and weather to skillfully propel the yacht.

I remember our first extended cruise as a family. I was up early every morning, doing systems check, daily navigation, weather forecasting, and under way at first light. Maximizing conditions to cover the most miles possible each day. I was pushing ahead toward our ultimate goal of the Bahamas but steamrolling through the trip.

My wife gave me a wake-up call when she asked if we could stay in the current anchorage another day. It was not really her questions, but my response that got me. I was upset, immediately defending the importance of my plan to hurry up and get underway. It dawned on me that I was approaching our trip as I approached work. I forgot that I was on vacation, and still in the Washington, DC beltway mindset of hurried activity.

It was over week into our cruise, and I finally was able to take a deep breath, and slow down to an enjoyable pace. The point of going slow is having the freedom to stop and explore a new anchorage or waterfront town. I realized that “progress” on the trip was not clicking off miles under the keel.

Unlike a flight or car ride, where speed compresses time and distance, sailing stretches both, creating space for adventure, growth, and connection. So, hurry up and slow down! Unfurl the sails, take a deep breath and enjoy the adventure of a slow pace.

-Capt. Jeff