Watch on, watch off

This is not an easy life, but it's a simple one.

The tasks are straightforward: change the sails then the wind changes, make a meal, maintain the engine. Just because on a churning sea those tasks require planning & coordination, lots of time and preferably four arms per person doesn't mean that they're complicated. Overall, having a fewer number of pressures and responsibilities--though the remaining ones, like safety at sea, are huge---is less stressful than the multitasking pressures of job, house, yard, business correspondence, et al.

One of the pleasures is the routine: watch on, watch off.

I know there are passagemakers who find this tiresome, but I'm not one of them; I find getting completely in sync with my surroundings to be deeply satisfying. I don't think it takes being a musician to appreciate the fundamental Rhythms of the days and nights, the sun and moon, the waves and water.

Light on the water

Full moon

Ocean sunset