The gobbledygook of sailors

The gobbledygook of sailors

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If you were to visit us here on Adrienne II, you’re likely to hear someone say "Let’s shake a reef” or “Fall off to 45 apparent”. Maybe something along the lines of “ Ease the lazy genoa sheet and close the clutch”, or “Please steer to zero-nine-five magnetic”. Or “Could you head up 30 degrees before grinding the main halyard?”. Crystal clear to sailors, but almost impossible for others to understand. 

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We sailors can come across as a cryptic bunch. We cook in the galley, and pee in the head. We use a windlass to pull up the anchor, but only after removing the snubber. And when we talk about degrees and minutes, we very seldom refer to the temperature and the time. 

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To the uninitiated, this can of course be somewhat off-putting. Learning to sail is difficult enough, why should you have to learn what is almost a second language to do it? And if English isn’t your first language, it can be even more difficult on an English-speaking boat like Adrienne II.

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Similar to almost all niche endeavors, it boils down to efficiency, safety and tradition. There are so many "ropes" and so much gear on a sailboat, that trying to identify them by descriptive terms just wouldn’t cut it. And by introducing ambiguity, you also create a potential safety hazard. On this big boat, lines are often heavily loaded, and an electric winch can easily chew up your hand if you’re not careful.

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So do we mess up every now and then? Of course we do! None of us seven paying crew on Adrienne II are professionals, so we basically just let go of our egos, ask again and again until we get it, and have a good laugh about it afterwards. We’re in one of the best learning environments available to offshore  sailors, and mistakes are just a part of the process. And it’s a very important part!

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We’ll be in the Canary Islands in a couple of days, and then we can go back to speaking as normal people. No more lay lines and rum lines, no more soft shackles, blocks, and clutches. And we can finally go to the bathroom to pee, instead of the head. See you all soon!

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Greetings from all of us onboard Adrienne II!

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PS Today we dug out the yellow quarantine courtesy flag, meaning that we are about to enter another country, but need to be cleared by customs and immigration before we are allowed on shore. A small thing maybe, but very symbolic for everyone on the boat as this amazing journey is soon coming to an end. Hola, España¡