Humility and Preparation on the Ocean

Well, my decision to accept Lucio's invitation and take part on the cross-Atlantic journey is still pending. But Monday's inauspicious sailing journey in Lucio's 80kg dingue was perhaps not the endorsement I needed. We had the misfortune of flipping the boat a total of four times in a very busy and windy ocean. Our last flip, in the relative tranquility of a canal, occurred because the rudder fell off due to a loose screw (we will forego an explanation of why the screw was loose). On that occasion, I found myself underwater, beneath the sail. Lucio assures me his large sailing boat is far more stable, as is to be expected. Let's hope so...and let's also hope that Pedro can teach us green thumbs a thing or two about sailing that might help us weather the storm... the ocean is not to be taken lightly, and such trips require more than just a quick read...they require humility and preparation-- a strong rejection of anything approaching hubris...

On the positive side, we're learning: we managed to right the boat each time it flipped and impressively tack into the narrow entrance of Cabo Frio's Canal, maneuvering around the intense traffic.