Taking Off

With sailing, there are two terrifiing moments: taking off (remember, no motor) and the return - again, no motor, so you had to stop a 2ton 40 foot racing sailboat very smartly.

The taking off bit was the toughest. The Skipper would be on the bow pulling very strongly on the mooring rope to get the boat moving.

We, back at the helm had a few more things to do:

1) not pee our shorts (by the way, we curmudgeons, being constructed of sterner stuff, managed this, by and large).

2)put the tiller full over so the sail will fill

3)pull sheets left and right to trim the mainsail so it filled correctly

4)actually steer the boat.

It is hard for helmsman moi, to disclose all this. After all, it was over in less than a minute: a minute I would not trade for anything.

Then the sailing bit commenced.  I would not trade it for anything either.