Fear

 

Last Saturday, 7th March, Thomas and I puttered out to Smuggler to go sailing. The forecast was Force 6, gusting Force 8. We got the sails ready, two reefs in the main, the smallest jib hanked on and everything looking good, swinging on our mooring.  Two people said as we went out, " you're mad to go out today, there'll be plenty other days". 

It was a gloriously sunny day and warm but really blowing. Still tied to our mooring, I sat in the cockpit to get to a feel for it. At each gust, the boat heeled and the jib nearly hoisted itself. I looked down the river and all looked smooth, the wind was South Westerly, straight over the land with no fetch at all.

I was afraid. Not afraid of the wind, though maybe I should have been. I was afraid of looking silly if someone had to rescue us. I was afraid of breaking a shroud and loosing the mast and again looking silly out there. There would be no other boats on Dublin Bay as most are still on the hard.

So we packed up and motored back to shore. To do something, we walked into the boatyard and watched sailors getting their crafts ready for lifting in a few weeks. When I told a few that we had intended to sail,  they again said, "it wouldn't be safe, you were mad to even think it".
I still think I missed out on a great opportunity, but fear probably kept us safe. So how do you test yourself and your boat ?