Our home assessment, unbeknown to me, unbeknown also an opportunity to talk frankly about Hs history. Initially I was saddened, then i became quite upset. Knowing some of the father's behaviours, drug dependence & personality, i took safety in keeping the family at arms length. As snippets of the unfolding tragedy were fed through the grapevine, i just shook my head & pushed it aside. I knew the department was involved & felt somewhat confident that young H was safe. But yesterday's information really hammered home how much little H had been through. What I, as a grown man, was protecting myself from, he was living it first hand. And it must be stressed, the department was less than effective as times & exposed H to emotional- mental & physical harm from his mother. Right after hearing this I felt heartened that H was surviving well, but later as it sunk in, I felt very upset, guilty I hadn't bee...
I am just re-reading Sailing Into Solitude by Val Howells and am aware that he questioned Blondie Hasler's Hasler'discussion to allow Chichester's successful ocean racing yacht of 39' to enter a race against two 25' "sailing canoes", a "tubby cruiser" of similar length and Frenchman's diminutive craft. Hasler was afraid to limit the number of entries given there were only four. So I attempted to calculate the efficiency of each craft based on LWL alone. Blondie on Jester 25' carvel Folkboat Lwl 19', 6" Max speed 5.8kn. Distance 3000nm. Time 48 days. Average speed 2.6kn Efficiency 45% of hull speed. Chichester , Gypsy Moth III Robert Clark 39 Lwl 28' Max speed 8.5kn Distance 3000nm Time 40 days. Average speed 3.1kn Efficiency 36.5% Theoretically Jester was sailed at a higher efficiency and if you consider the greater capacity for a heavier yacht to pierce through waves with greater inertia, to remain more stab...
i go out to gather firewood from the pile and overhead a sky full of sparkling ancient orbs exuding timelessness. but inside an 11 year old squirt struggles with his illogical brain and oppositional heart to settle into what he must know is a secure and calm home. is a minute by minute focus far removed from the life of the stars.