Sailor’s Lament: “Nobody Understands Me”

Sailors are often misunderstood.  Some people just don’t get moving through the water (or anywhere) without fossil fuels doing all the work.  A Snipe sailor, who plans to celebrate Summer Sailstice on June 22 on their local lake, will be joining the other boaters that are “fishing, jet-skiing, wakeboarding or going way too fast and way too loud.”

Sailboats are so unusual in the area that the conversation to get the boating permit went something like this after the Snipe sailor handed in the permit application…

“You have to fill in what motor you have”

“I don’t have a motor.”

“Well how are you going to move the boat?”

“See right here where I wrote ‘sailboat’?…'”

“Yes.”

“Well, that’s how. With the sails.”

“I’m sorry if I was unclear. I’m talking about your motor, not your sails.”

“I don’t have a motor. It’s a sailboat.”

“Well, how are you going to get it out on the lake to sail?”

“I put up the sails and the wind makes it move.”

“Do you have oars?”

“No, but I have a paddle in case . . . ”

“Okay, that’s what I mean. Where it says ‘engine type’, we’ll just put ‘paddle’.”

“What? A paddle isn’t an eng … . I mean, yeah, okay, that’s a good idea. Thank you.”

She finally gave the permit, but wasn’t happy about it. Especially when asked if there might be a discount for non-motorized craft. Join Summer Sailstice, the global, annual celebration of sailing held on the summer solstice in North America. Click here for details.