IN THE END,
WE ALL GET WHAT WE WANT
Ocean Posse members Fabio and Kristin Potenti are sailing on SV WANDERLUSTย in the South Pacific.ย They maintain a Facebook Page: Harbors Unknown, and a youtube channel to document and share their musings and experiences.ย Below Fabio shares his most recent musings with the Ocean Posse:
I wanted a catamaran that could sail upwind, and for my indiscretions, they let me have one.
The destiny we desireโa burden and a curse. Oscar Wilde said it well: โWhen the gods wish to punish us, they answer our prayers.โ But the one who said it best was my father. After he bought me some fancy wheels, he looked at me and said, โHai voluto la bicicletta? Ora pedala.โ โDid you want a bicycle? Now pedal.โ
Simple, undeniable truth: when the genie grants a wish, it comes with a no-return policy. Deal with the consequences foolโeven if it means struggling uphill, cursing every minute of that ride.
Every sailor knows, sailing upwind is a punishment. The ocean couldnโt care less about Wanderlustโs sleek hulls, her spectacular bow buoyancy, or her shiny new gear fitted at great expense. This is what I asked for: a boat that could slice into the wind, lift its stems, and fight forward. And my wishes were granted.
Upwind, the spray lashes like a whip, bodies braced against the bounce, old bones learning a new rhythm, thrumming with each slap against the steep swell. Trust the boat, we say, when everythingโs a question mark. Will she hold? Will we hold together? She groans, fighting to remember she was made for thisโsteel and resin, no heart, no fear, no feelings. But were we made for this? For moving forward when our fragility says to turn back, or at least be anywhere else?
Graceful, it is not. We asked for upwind, and we got upwindโit came with bruises, salt crusts, deep-set exhaustion, and a queasy stomach. Maybe we should have been more precise with the genie about the amount of upwind.
And in the end, when all the wishing is done and the seas have settled, this is the truth we face and the story we tell.
SY WANDERLUST ๐บ๐ธ Kristin, Fabio, & dog Yoda – Seawind 1600
