Many people will know the opening lines of John
Masefield's poem 'Sea Fever'
"I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely
sea and the sky, and all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her
by,"
But, probably fewer know the lines from the 2nd verse
"And all I ask
is a windy day with the white clouds flying"
However, I rather suspect that
today, many boats in the ARC, will be wishing for just that.
While its very
pleasant to sit in a gentle swell with a cool breeze, it isn't doing us any
favours for a fast passage.
The only advantage we get is is summed up in the
poem's final stanza
"And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long tick's
over."
Ian Jenkinson, Celtic Star