Night and day.
The wind is beating against you. So seems the whole world.
Sails are luffing again. The waves crashing against the boat tell you why the wet weather gear keeps paying for itself. Adjust the offset and pray. Your watch ends...just not now! Maybe another hour or more. Do you want out of this watch because all you can think of is bed? Or because you don't want the responsibility when everything & I mean everything goes balls up?
Too late! Simon is barking orders from the cockpit. Grab a rope, he's still yelling! Out of necessity! You can't hear him clearly forward of the cockpit. Grab something else whilst looking back toward him in a daze, the yelling stops; this must be the right one! Pull, overhaul, whatever...keep going until you hear STOP!! Crisis is averted, temporarily. Please bring on the next crisis.
Actually, I'd rather sleep. But not forever, so keep your eyes open.
The wind is humming abeam a week later. Life is good. You've banked enough miles hard on the wind; please see above.
Do everything and nothing goes right. Actually wait! Wind is with you now, the world loves you. Do nothing and everything is going to be alright. Sea is flat calm, we're flying, we're cruising. We're skimming comfortably along the edge of the world.
And Simon's awake. He's slept better; we don't have to call him out of the cave as often. So crack jokes and complain that the Vector Made Good could be better. We're going twice as fast now.
Keep laughing, keep smiling. Just don't have the wind back another 40 knots against our way.
