When we sail, I often feel like a little gnat on a windscreen: small and insignificant in the overall big picture of the world around me. The swell rolls along, the boat going up and down, the wind in the sails powerfully moving us towards a far destination. At those times, I am amazed by the majestic world that is around me and I am in awe and feel very lucky to be a part of it.

I look at Mahdee, her powerful hull with it wonderful rebuild just completed, her 80 year old spars still doing their job so wonderfully and I feel lucky and blessed to be sailing such a fine vessel. I think of her former owners–from her first owner Cruising Club of America Commodore Sandy Moffat to the West coast racer Dave Allen, as well as several cruisers and the fellow we bought her from, a Navy Seal during the Vietnam War. They all are, in some way or another, impressive to me.

Certain beloved friends and family tell me how special they think I am. I always say that love is blind–it is. To them, I am significant and my accomplishments big and small are significant. Bless them for it is grand to have such supportive and lovely people in my life.

In a former life, in a former job, I must say I had my moments of feeling “significant.” The power one has to make things happen, well, it can (in error) make one think that one really is really somebody of significance. Not like the President of the US, not like the CEO of Microsoft, but…somehow “significant.”

Well, I’m back to feeling like a gnat, folks. This week, I’ve interacted with a few people who, in my present world of sailing are “significant” because of what they’ve done while sailing. For example, Susan and Tony, a couple who earned a Cruising Club of America Award for heroic and impressive seamanship and Rolland, a fellow who has successfully taken his family on his little wooden boat through the Northwest Passage.

Yea, while I sneeze my way though the Alaska Yellow Cedar dust…It is humbling to realize how many people are living an amazing cruising life and doing amazing things every day.