GHOSTING from Anne de Marcken on Vimeo.

The sign of a good summer: I have lost track of how many times we’ve been sailing. Many hours stolen from the middle of work days. Many hours added to the ends of days that were already so full. Even one night sail.

Mostly the wind has been light, and I have let myself just enjoy this – begin to accept that for me sailing is not what it might be for others: not a test, not a proving. It is a quieting, a stilling, a settling-in and down. I sometimes find myself wanting to listen to something other than the world in and around the boat…to tune into the news on my NPR app. But I do not yield to this temptation. I stay there. Fully there. I wait and watch and listen.

I am always sad and happy to be back at the dock. I love the tending and trimming that goes with stowing June properly. The coiling, cleating and furling. I love the perfecting of care. I love the utility. I love the beauty of this boat. I love the work of her.