Night Sailing: Hours of Peace
The past six months peace of mind has been a luxury. For most of us, we’ve been stressed beyond comparison and can’t even imagine what else could possibly go wrong. This year alone has felt like a lifetime of problems have arisen and we face them down like a Spartan army ready to battle something twice our size. So, when I came face to face with genuine peace of mind recently, I was more than a little pleased and surprised.
Millenia ago, sailors prayed to their ocean and water deities to guide them on their safe passage. Whether they traversed oceans or seas, they would give offerings and thanks to those above who ensured they reached their final destination unharmed. In the Western world, the two most popular were Poseidon and Neptune, which are virtually the same entity. Today, we pray to our chartplotter and radar and hope they do their duties during the passage and get us where we intend to go. So, it’s safe to say that times have changed from the era of Ancient Greeks and Romans.
Recently, if you follow us on social media, you will know that we traveled from Salem, MA to Mattapoisett, MA. During half of this journey, we sailed at night. Originally, it wasn’t our intention to spend all night sailing, but weather wasn’t on our side. Beating straight upwind all day and into the current, it took us way longer than anticipated. This series of unfortunate weather patterns ensured that our fifteen hour sail turned into a twenty four hour sail and through the night.
At first, I was quite terrified of sailing at night. It wasn’t something I had done yet. Neither of us had. The most we had done was motoring at four in the morning for a little over an hour before the sun rose. We had barely any technology that was functioning, no radar, and only a chartplotter on the iPad; it felt like we were sailing blind into the darkness. To a certain degree we were, and that thought of that was terrifying. Sailing in the modern era without all the bells and whistles, it was like living in the dark ages. Literally and figuratively.
Prior to modern technology, sailors didn’t just pray to the gods for hope, they used technology that they had at their disposal. Charts that previous sailors had created, compasses, sexton, and the stars, among other tools. To be a sailor in the olden days, you had to be a professional and know just what you were doing. To navigate by the stars wasn’t something so farfetched like it would be today. So, the thought of sailing into darkness reminded me of the sailors of yore. Except they knew much more than I did. But, now for the peace.
For the first time since moving to Massachusetts, I was far enough away from light pollution to really get a good look at the sky. For the time in close to a decade, I was able to see a sky full of stars with nothing in the way. No clouds, no smog, and no light. I could see every twinkle without any interference. For the first time in god only knows how long, my mind was quiet. The fear of having not much tech now allowed me to sit in the peace as I sailed with the stars watching over me. The wind rushed through the sails, leaving a small whistling sound to soothe us. The water gently rapped agains the hull as we cut through it. There was nothing but the ocean, wind, stars, and us. It was peace.
In that moment, I no longer became fearful of night sailing. I may have been freezing, and unsure of how long it would take us to reach our destination, but it didn’t matter so much. Everything was just so quiet and still. During all of COVID, the world has felt like it was running full speed ahead into oblivion, but for just this short moment I could escape that. That fear I once held was now gone. Peace replaced it and I’m beyond thankful for that. This moment of peace reminded why sailing can be so magnificent. You are working hand in hand with nature, all while escaping the noise of society. You travel the world by the grace of mother nature, and can find a sense of peace in the process. This was my first night sail, and it won’t be my last. Now, I can truly say, I look forward to that moment of peace that comes along with it.
-Jake