Optimism Turns to Realism

The pessimist complains about the wind;

The optimist expects it to change;

The realist adjusts the sails.

-William Arthur Ward

Last Saturday, the Girls Boat Project had planned to take a full day journey on Onward. As we watched the weather forecast solidify over the week our optimism for perfect sailing conditions and a sunny lunch on the beach changed into the realism of a Small Craft Advisory posting and gusts over 25 knots. Not good weather for a trip in an open boat with a novice crew.

A plan was in place to assess the conditions on Saturday morning and spend the morning together regardless of the weather. All of our weather observations were conclusive- the wind was strong. After listing some alternatives for the morning, we decided to play some fun games, tie turk’s-heads and monkey’s fists in the Bosun’s locker loft, and feast on the meal we had planned for our day.

We ran and played in the wind and our time outside allowed us to experience the conditions from a safe location. We enjoyed eating our lunch and taking time to relax and enjoy each other. The day ended with appreciations for others in our group. We appreciated kindness, fun, problem solving, creativity, and good hide and go seek skills. And we hoped that the weather would cooperate for another attempt later in May.