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19 May 2006

9th June 2006

A bank holiday has gone since my last epistle

I spent the weekend sailing off the coast of Essex watching magnificent, restored Thames barges and smaller antique craft  gliding majestically up and around the river Blackwater.
 I moored at night in muddy creeks with only the sea birds and a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon for company.

It is humbling to reflect that these sea birds and creatures need nothing but fair weather to enjoy a perfect quality of life when we humans need so many other influences to enable us to do the same.
When on a boat I tend to forget most things, the predictability of daily monotony  - day to day responsibilities and all the coveted possessions that clutter the home. The boat and its contents seem the only thing in the world I need to enjoy life.

But like the wild life, humans only need one bad egg to bring one out of the ‘comfort zone’ and to realise that life is affected by outside influences beyond your control.

My weekend was spoiled by just one of these occurrences.

Mooring up for lunch in a designated anchorage off Osey island in the Blackwater, I had just dropped our anchor when a voice rang out from a shiney white 28 footer some 50 yards away. At first I thought it a friendly greeting as is the general norm with ‘boaties’ but I soon realised that the man was either drunk, mad - or both.

“Why don’t you move further away from here “ he exclaimed. “Don't ‘park’ near me!’
 It quite took me back as it was totally unexpected and unwarranted.

I of course ignored his ranting, ate lunch and left an hour or so later. What should I have done?- I felt that I should reply in a manner which he would have understood - expletives and insults but I didn’t. He withdrew into his cabin and didn’t reappear but I know the boat name and perhaps one day I will paint a new one on it. -‘Weighanchor ‘

However this behaviour did affect me.

I wonder about these people. How do they get through life? Do they have friends? How do they find a partner? How do they make a living?

I soon left him behind and enjoyed the sailing but it still puzzled me how people become like that or do they carry a faulty gene?

On the subject of renaming his boat to reflect the owners personality,  let me to muse about boat names and their livery. Always a fascination to me. 

Art and design occupying so much of my life gives me the interest in the names and typestyles used in creating the livery on the boats. Observing passing and moored craft, some names are emblazoned on the hulls accompanied by bold stripes and symbols whilst others identify themselves very discreetly.

Gone are the days of the true sign writer who with brush and stick created unique liveries.
Now cut -out sticky backed, vinyl occupies the space where their typography was once placed.

What influences one to prefer a traditional boat to a modern one? Sail or power?
I am convinced that the choice of name and craft can be directly linked to the owners personality and aspirations. - It seems it is almost as important with some owners as naming their children.

Saucy Sal, Queen of the Coast and The Skylark have been replaced by Marauder, Hot Lips and Phantom Flyer.

Ho hum- so it goes.

I will look forward to my next cruise on ‘Salad Days’

Thanks for reading my second Blog.

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