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The Sailboat and I: Responding to God’s Spirit
One summer, for the first time, I was invited to go for a sail in the ocean. Previously, I had travelled on large steam boats, on ferries, and motorboats, but this was quite a different story!
Not only must any boat must be guided in the right direction, but barriers and sandbars must be avoided. Here, I discovered, there was much more to keep the captain busy.
First, we headed out into the bay with an outboard motor. The roar made it almost impossible to talk. When the motor was shut off, the silence enveloped us, as we heard only the swish of the waves, the sighing of the wind, and the ceaseless call of seagulls.
Our friend hoisted the mainsail, then other sails. He constantly had to adjust the flapping sails with ropes and squeaky cranks. I learned that, depending on the speed and direction of the wind, not only the orientation of the sails but also the degree of tension had to be adjusted. The sailor must also take into consideration the direction of the current, as well as…
