Lessons Learned

[ephman]

All of us have experiences that teach us lessons to live buy. Life on the water offers us an opportunity to view the world in a larger context and to learn how we should act in our daily lives. I remember a weekend that started out well with great promose that deteriorated quickly with mechanical problems that placed great stress on the crew. Life is like that, we all experience disappointment and yet we survive and move forward. We made a great weekend out one that was about to let us down. Life is about adjustment. What experiences have you had on your boat that have taught you someting about life and lessons to live by.

[Stevyboy]

planning ahead

[Boasun]

A. No matter on how scared the crew are, if they trust you they will follow your instructions and orders.
B. If they don't trust you......well then!?

Never had option 'B'

[AjariBonten]

A: Shut Up and Listen

B: Be Afraid, But Never Show It

[fcodltorre]

Every second counts, even when asleep, maybe thats why I don't get much sleep afloat or the dry. Make the most of your time, enjoy every moment as if it where your last, one never knows...

When in Anger...Whisper, people already know you are upset and by lowering your voice you are not only teaching but lowering stress.

When Happy...Scream with laughter, people may know you're feeling good but they don't know how much and you will make it contagious.

When Sad...Paint your face with a smile, people may already know you are not feeling well but they will admire you and learn.

[nolatom]

Lesson: good luck tends to come to those who have planned ahead.

Experience: If you reef early, that squall will be thin, and over in 5 minutes;
if you don't, it will last an hour.

If you bring foul weather gear, the weather will be nice. If you don't....

And so on and so on..

Lesson: Mother Nature rules out there, you don't.

Experience: Too many to mention.

Lesson: "The boat's tougher than you are"

Experience: fortunately, not too much personally, but look at all the exhausted and sick crews who are medevaced from basically seaworthy boats.

[eryka]

You do so much better, and are more comfortable too, if you do the best you can with what you've got. Sometimes you have to be flexible and not bound by your premeditated "plan."

As true of managing people, going to market, or making a living, as it is in sailing. Just because you want to go directly from point A to point B, you may not get the option if the wind doesn't allow.

[chucklesR]

Careful, clear and calm communication is perhaps a little slower than screaming out jargon filled invective when trying to get something done, but if you communicate carefully (so as not to hurt feelings), clearly (and remove doubt and confusion) and calmly (to remove fear) you may just get to go sailing a second time with the same Admiral.
Failing in that, and let's face it we all have, you get to abjectly appologize and learn a different lesson; that the Admiral is probably a lot more forgiving that you are when she yells at you.

Having said that I'm in full agreement with Fcodtorre above - every second counts. You gain seconds by planning ahead and considering all the 'what if' senarios you can possibily imagine and every action and word you will use to convey to you crew what to do if it happens. That way when it does, you already know how to communicated carefully, clearly and calmly

Most folks think of sailors as stoic men lashed to the wheel of a bucking deck blown by forty plus knots of wind and sea snot staring ahead into the depth of a storm with unblinking blazing eyes.
In reality, in todays world most (non-racing) sailors are office workers who gather up their young and the Admiral and trot off to the boat for a weekend here and there.
Those of us that race around the cans on the side can yell pithy insults and suggestions at knot tieing and work out routines so we can winch faster next week all we want - bottom line is that behavior does not belong in the cockpit of family boat.

For me, the lesson is to get the Admiral to be a repeat visitor to my 'man cave' I have to insure it's not a man cave. The fact that drives that lesson is I'd rather sail anywhere with my Admiral than nowhere with out her.

[knothead]

Follow your gut feelings. Not the general consensus.
If everyone else in the anchorage decides to head out and they have the weather faxes to back them up. Don't go unless you feel right about it.

[erps]

Having a good anchor in your:

health
family
education
faith
and your boat

is a good feeling.