Health & Resilience
Image description: A diverse group of women on a sailboat.
Image description: Two baby swallows on a line, one being fed by a parent, in flight with wings spread, viewed through a ship's port-light. PC: James Home
A MEDITATION ON SAILING THE PANDEMIC
By Kristie Dahlia Home
Sailors often joke about “boat yoga” as we cram our bodies around engines and into lockers, but sailing has deeper connections with mindfulness and meditation. Two common sailor sayings show the way:
The most dangerous thing to have on a boat is a schedule.
Always have a Plan B… and C.
Sailing teaches us to prepare as best we can. We prepare our ship, our skills, and our plans, but then we have to meet the moment as it is. We cannot control the sea or the sky; we must respond to them.
Yogis have a saying:
The bird of freedom has two wings: practice and nonattachment.
Image Description: Three smiling girls stand on a beach on Mexico’s Pacific coast holding one long barracuda between them.
SWINGING ON THE HALYARDS OF LIFE
By Gerry Rodriguez
…This life affords us so many freedoms. Freedom to be a little less. Less encumbered with stuff. Less dictated by rigid routines, even while running businesses from home. Less tamed. Less afraid. Less concerned with growing up too quickly (yes, this also applies to hubby and me). With this, our children have the time to experience life and learn how to adapt gracefully and be powerfully resilient yet tender.
They see the cycles of life: creatures live, creatures die. They have learned to ebb and flow with it. They cope reasonably well with getting to bed late if we spend more time spider hunting than we intended because we are having too much fun. They are okay and know meals may be delayed when we are underway if both hubby and I are needed topside. They know that things shift and change depending on the situation.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE STORM AHEAD
By: Jennifer Harkness
DEAR SKIPPER JENN, Please explain to me how to cope this year. With sailing season ending and the US elections coming up, I am not sure I can take anymore.
Dear WTF 2020,
…No one can predict the future, but disaster response research and data have given us a pretty good outline of what to expect for our mental health, and what to do about it. Here's the bad news: we will most likely be in and out of quarantine for the next 2-5 years, or until we get an effective vaccine. Here’s the good news: we can predict the behavioral and emotional phases we will potentially go through and prepare for this ongoing shit-storm as best as we can. I do not report the following to bring more fear, but to educate. We are sailors, the forecast is bad, but we have navigation on how to batten down the hatches and gather the right mental and emotional supplies.
Live 7pm EDT September 10, 2020 don’t miss US Sailing’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Series discussing the LGBTQ community in sailing.
We want to hear from you, look out for the Women Who Sail Group Survey coming out in September and participate in our upcoming changes.
ALLISON JOLLY AND LYNN JEWELL SHORE won the Olympic Gold in the 1988 South Korean games. It was the first time there was a women’s sailing division and for this accomplishment, they are announced the Rolex Yachtswomen of the year for 2020.
A black female fishing team, called THE EBONY ANGLERS, made a historic win in the Spanish Mackerel & Dolphin Tournament in Morehead City, NC.
ELIN SIGNE ASKVIK is the new captain in charge of the world’s largest yacht, REV Ocean. The boat is fully equipped for deep sea discovery and scientific expedition. They will be exploring the oceans and doing a variety of research, setting sail in 2021.
In a move toward equality, the Royal Canadian Navy has replaced “seaman” with the gender neutral term “sailor.”
The Annapolis Boat Show, and the Newport International Boat Show for 2020 are cancelled due to COVID19.
The Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival has gone virtual online starting September 12, 2020.
Hurricane Laura and Marco hit the Gulf Coast early this season and the prediction is that there will be more setting a record pace for US Landfall for 2020. The Women Who Sail main group has hurricane threads and information to support it’s members and bring together community resources.
We have a new official Women Who Sail Pacific Northwest group that covers Oregon, Washington, the west coast of Canada, and Alaska. There is also a regional group for the Seattle area, which has a very active racing community.
Women Who Sail is a closed Facebook group. Read our group guidelines and if you are a fit, request to join! Content from the group is always shared with permission.
This month, in the main Women Who Sail group, Emmanuelle M. Barea posted, Hello lovelies, what is your biggest fear when you are out sailing?
399 women responded and it was bonding and educational. We are wondering, what is your biggest fear? Tell us in the comments section! Fair winds everyone!
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Have questions, upcoming events, news, or submissions? Contact our Editor-in-Chief: Jenn Harkness at skipperjennharkness@gmail.com