17 October 2008

Two Buckets of Stout Construction

The ISAF Offshore Special Regulations section 3.23.5 (f) stipulates that "the following shall be provided: two buckets of stout construction each with at least 9 litres (2 UK gallons, 2.4 US gallons) capacity. Each bucket to have a lanyard."

The International Blogging Confederation Tillerman Special Projects Division Section 2008-1007.1 demands that each blogger: "Write a post on your blog on the subject of "My Sailing Bucket List"."

Heck, if I'm going to follow one set of rules when I go offshore in a fit of bravery, valor and not knowing better then I'd better follow the other set while sitting at my computer thinking about sailing.

So what do I need to do before I die? I've sailed the ocean blue. Twice. I don't care if I never win a race. I've made friends both real and virtual. I've been in gales and been becalmed. I've swung from the hook in a variety of beautiful places. All I really care about for myself is that I keep sailing.

But the key to that sentence is "myself". My goals for sailing are modest and I think I've done most of them now that I've sailed to Hawaii. But I have two children and that's the key for me. There, I have goals. And, without further ado, they are:
  1. To get Noah to sail; he doesn't need to love it he just needs to try it
  2. To sail offshore with Camille
  3. To get Heidi to consider cruising as retirement (note: need nicer boat)
Honestly, life doesn't end if 1 and 3 don't happen. But I really really want number 2. The best time I've ever had with my Dad was preparing for and sailing to Ireland. I can't think of a better moment that I ever had with him than the day we saw the QE2. I want a day like that with Camille (for Noah, I have to find something other than sailing I fear).

That's it. Get one kid to try sailing, to continue the other's love of it, and to find a way to spend my golden years on a sailboat.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Edward, me lad, there is only one proper bucket, and that is the canvas deck bucket. See complete construction instructions in Chapter XXII of The Arts of the Sailor.

You'll be missing out on all the Dark and Stormy fun tomorrow!

EVK4 said...

David, young man, that is a fine bucket to have in your ditch bag. And a fine bucket to heave overboard to use as a shower. But, alas, it is an unfortunate choice of a bucket for passing your inspection.

If you head south look for Sail a Vie out there; she's a dry boat so don't expect to see any dark 'n' stormies on board during her sail. :)

Anonymous said...

Dry? As in no water in the bilge?

The bilge can be a fine, cool place on some boats for storing bevvys....

Anonymous said...

"Stout" construction? What are you talking about? Stout is a dark beer. How can you make a bucket out of beer?

Joe said...

I knew you wanted beer Jefe, I knew it!

P.S. I like the cut of your bucket Edward.

Carol Anne said...

An interesting observation ... The State of New Mexico, in its safe boating regulations, requires that all boats have a bucket (or other bailing device) on board, although the state doesn't specify standards for the quality of construction of said bucket.

Pat and I discovered when we went to California and chartered a sailing yacht that neither the State of California nor the United States Coast Guard required a bucket -- we had expected that our charter boat would have one, but it did not. When we pointed out this shortcoming to the charter company, the folks there agreed that a bucket should be required equipment.

When we got into Etchells one-design racing, we discovered that the class rules require that we have not just one, but two, buckets, of at least a certain capacity, at all times while racing. I figured that since the Etchells doesn't have a head, we needed two buckets, one men's and one women's.