A Fresh Start.
I
wish to thank everyone at the London A.G.M. in January who elected
me as your President. Quite what I am supposed to do is debateable
but I feel a certain sense of responsibility for setting in motion
some changes that have re-shaped our committee and I shall play
whatever part they want me to in order to keep the spirit of the
Association happy and vigorous. The folk who are now running things
are incredibly enthusiastic and deserve our support and although
I don't have a proper job I will happily continue to get our journals
printed and distributed and lend a hand on other matters if and
when I am called upon to do so. I have to admit, that a land-lubber
President is a pretty un-edifying prospect so I began tackling the
fitting-out jobs as early as weather permitted this year and I hope
to be afloat again soon.
Everything seems to come at a rush as soon as the clocks get changed
and the days get longer. I used to write a 'things-to-do' list at
this time of year but the length of it always looked too daunting
so I am now experimenting by doing things that come to mind on a
daily basis. It's a good day if I can feel at the end of it that
some progress has been made. After all, I am only half an hour away
from the boat. How does one cope when the boat is on a French canal
or in a Spanish marina, I wonder. I love reading the stories of
these intrepid sailing wanderers that we have in the Association
and envy them their planning and organisational skills but I don't
seem to possess that 'go-off-and-do-it' gene. Do they write job
lists? Do they have a lucky star?
The boat yard I am in is well run and accommodating. It has always
had a relaxed and easy-going air about it. However, I notice polite
signs appearing now drawing attention to the fact that pontoons
and staging can get wet and slippery and extra caution is required.
When minor repairs and maintenance on and around the fabric of the
buildings are taking place objects like traffic cones linked with
tape give warning of potential hazards. When the crane is used yellow
hard hats are liberally distributed. The care taken to prevent accidents
must of course be applauded but the reaches of Health and Safety
appears to have no bounds and over-rides the freedom of individuals
to make their own judgement on matters of risk and reward in areas
of their lives where personal decision-making builds confidence
and character. At the bottom of our road is a school and when cycle
training is in progress, in our cul-de-sac out come the cones, tape
and notices and almost as many adult supervisors as children. The
children, by-the-way, are all clad like American football players
covered with shiny hard plastic protectors for every moving limb
and joint. Any motorised movements are treated with extreme suspicion
by the supervisors. It is odd that after all this they then allow
them to risk life and limb on the highway. What's all this got to
do with sailing you might say. Well, I've often sat on boats on
the Continent watching enviously the apparent freedom of young and
old cycling as a matter of habit. What's more, not a hard-hat in
sight. But then cycling is a means of transport over there, everyone
does it. Here it is a toy that children play with and do 'wheelies'
on and adults ride self-consciously. You see, it's not really a
very British pursuit. Sometimes I think sailing is like that. We
can be a bit shy about admitting we've got a boat. Keep it quiet.
I have a feeling that on the Continent, it is seen as just another
pleasurable means of transport which is part of their way of life.
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