Heave To

"Let's heave to and have a swim"

I have heard that phrase several times over the last month or so. (Thank you Captain Jeremy)

I will try to best describe what that means in a language that can be understood by all and not just those who know sailor talk...

Heaving to is the action one would take on a sail boat to stop it's forward motion.  One way in which this action can be taken is to tack (which means to turn the boat so that, for example, the wind coming from the left then comes from the right) but keeping the sails in the front (i.e. the jib) tied down on the same side of the boat, letting the main sail (the big one in the middle) move to the other side on its own and turning the rudder angle into the wind (see picture if it helps...the arrow is the wind direction).  By doing this, all forward motion will stop and you will pretty much just sit there even though the wind is blowing in the sails.

A swim, I think, is pretty self-explanatory, though the means of getting into the water differ from person to person depending on how adventurous they are.  From simply climbing slowly down the ladder (which always takes at least twice as long to actually get in...), jumping off the side, jumping off the very tip of the bowsprit (the long piece of wood at the very front with a net underneath which is higher than it looks when you're out there), or rigging up a rope swing.

We have had some very nice, very calm, sails the last few weeks which I am so very thankful for.  I have never seen such calm water before in my life.  It was beautiful.

It would be just before lunch time and the captain would emerge from his cabin to look out at the beautiful day and say, 'Let's heave to and have a swim.'  

So that's what we would do.
We would stop what we were doing, whether on watch, cooking, cleaning, working, reading, or even sleeping, and go for a swim.  We would enjoy the beautifully clear, blue water then lay on deck soaking in the sunshine.  Lunch would be served on deck and then we'd carry on.

Why do we do that?  Well, first, it's fun.  A lot of fun.  (Except the times when you get a rope burn on your fingers...that stops the fun quite quickly)  But also, we are able to take a break, look out into the open sea where there is no land in sight, switch off for a bit, laugh, have fun, and just be.

I need to do that more often.

It's easy to be constantly going, going, going all the time and never slow down, never stop to look at where you are, never see the beauty around you, never be grateful for the life you have, never just be.

It's easy to always be looking at the destination and the ETA for when you're supposed to get there and that is all that you focus on.  That's all you can see, where you not yet are.  But when you heave to and have a swim, for that hour, those things don't matter and you can enjoy life, enjoy the water, have lunch and relax.

It's a chance to take a step back and just breathe and refresh.

It makes the rest of the journey even better.

Again, I need to do that more often.