A Living Tradition

There were some things in life I left to sort out when I first went to sea, thinking the salt and the rolling swell would help me come to some conclusions on the direction my life should take. Ironically, here I am thousands of nautical miles later and in some ways no closer to knowing where I'm headed. But I have made some incredible discoveries in the meantime, many of which have confirmed to me that the sea is indeed a good way of life despite its hardships, and it has its place in the modern world as well.

Sailing around on a tall ship may sound extravagant at first; time and money thrown into an old steel hull, some rigging and a crew to sail her to exotic locations. We're not transporting cargo or doing extensive scientific research (we do record and transmit our weather observations though), so many would be inclined to think it's just a millionaire's hobby, a weird sort of cruise taking wealthy people on holiday to unusual places. 

But a tall ship is so much more than that; if the above description was what we were all about then I can assure you tall ships would no longer exist. 

Before the days of steam or Diesel engines, the oceans of the world were traversed by sail. Countries invested fortunes and men invested their lives to sailing. It was a way of life, a catalyst of world trade, an efficient mode of transportation. 

There were also hundreds of years of tradition along with that; how a ship should be kept, the hierarchy of the crew, and a proper way to do everything. With natural fibers and manpower, we sailed the seas until the advent of the marine engine. In a rush for speed and perhaps warfare, the big old ships were left to rot and rust, and an ageless way of life was nearly lost. 

Fortunately for us, there were a few who realized the importance of keeping it alive. There is much to be gained from sailing, from vigilance and hard work to a healthy respect and understanding for nature and the forces that occur at sea. Not only are there the physical aspects, but also the mental ones; patience, trust and everything else that comes with living with fifty other souls for months on end.  You learn to appreciate the little things in every day, and all the burdens of life in a twenty first-century first-world country suddenly lose their priority. 

And that is what we share with those who come sailing with us; a change of pace and a different way of life that challenges how society has trained us to think. The most profound experience that we encounter is not the destination but the journey. A tall ship is a living tradition, and not one that should be forgotten.