The Turn of the Tide?

The River Rother at Rye Harbour in East Sussex dries out at low tide, so that one could wade across it. My father used to keep his boat tied up to the Admiralty Jetty, a long wooden structure that had been constructed  during WW2 to accomodate air/sea rescue vessels, since there was much action in the Channel off Rye, where a lot of pilots were shot down in the dog-fights of the Battle of Britain. Such memories were still very fresh in those years of the 1950s. Anyway his boat and those of the little community of sailors there used to dry out leaning against the piles of this structure, and only float for about three hours either side of high water.

    It's easy to imagine how the whole atmosphere of the place changed with the rhythm of the tides. Unfortunately the fishing boats from Rye, another couple of miles up the river, were inclined to belt up against the ebb at the last minute possible, just when those wooden sailing boats were taking the rather firm bottom. That ebb was at its strongest, probably around four or five knots,- the fishing boats would make a big wash, which frequently lifted the sailing boats off the bottom and thumped them down on it again. The yachtsmen would curse and the fishermen would not take a blind bit of notice. Class warfare, you might call it.

    It's not easy for toilers on the sea to respect those who go there for pleasure, and especially those who merely play at it, but just occasionally the fellowship of the sea and mutual respect prevails over such little problems. Fishermen may sometimes find it in their hearts to recognise that toilers in offices have their problems too, that they too are necessary, and might possibly do their jobs a lot better if they retain grounding in physical realities such as especially the sea. I reckon that our politicians and civil servants would do a much better job if they spent more time with Nature and less chasing their tails, trying to please everyone and for the most part failing to do so! 

    I'm somewhat fascinated to watch where the Trumpian change in the political tide will take us. I would be happier if he went sailing rather than playing golf, yet I could not but admire his fighting spirit! I tried my hand at the political game briefly, after I gave up fishing. The experience brought home to me how 'fighting the tide' is to be avoided if possible, despite the necessity of keeping faith when the tide is out, preparing for the next flood. We should beware of those trying to force their way against the ebb, who may lift you for a moment and then dump you on the bottom again, shivering those timbers! 

    I am disgusted to see Palestinian representatives who fail to condemn the October 7th attack, continuing to attack Israel while playing the victim tune for all its worth. How on earth did they expect the Israelis to react,- which is not to condone what they have done either! Jesus surely had the only answer, which is to love our enemies. Apparently impossible, but there really isn't anywhere else to turn!

    The eternal rhythms go on and on,- home and away, friend and enemy, day and night, summer and winter, calm and storm, health and sickness, wealth and poverty, strength and weakness, life and death, - mostly sadly out of sync. Indeed they can make a ghastly cacophony, pulling one this way and that; it is a life's work, and an extraordinary feat, to learn to embrace both sides, so that we can get them in sync and learn to dance to the cosmic beat. As good a place to start as any may be in a sailing boat that does not assume the power of beating that tide by force, but is content to work with it and use it, with humility. However one way or the other one does have to come to terms with contrary currents, even if this inevitably involves fighting them! 

    There's not much sign of a strong fair tide for the Anna M yet, still no sign of finance for the electric drive project, but nonetheless I hope to be in a position to sail her home to Ireland this year. Then either the Gannetsway Sailing Association and Marine Services will shape up, or I fear she will have to be sold. Meanwhile, however, perhaps you too might like to adopt the sobrequet 'Gannet', indicative of an attitude of encounter to all dancers on the waves of the 'Gannetsway'. We still have to clarify what this will involve, but it is significant for me of an attitude that, though based on the sea, transcends it,- of a cultural and spiritual dance that reconciles all those opposites. 

    Our photographer friend Nutan, with whom I sailed the West coast of Ireland making his photographic book about them, bestowed that sobrequet on our family long ago, though especially on our Luke, because of the way he pounced on food. They had a great time slagging each other off. Little did 'Swami Nutan' realise what fun I would have with it in due course! 

    To enable you, dear reader, to follow and perhaps participate in this effort, Dominic Peer and I are getting a podcast together. Here is the link:- https://www.youtube.com/@FollowtheGannetsway/videos

And here is the link for the talk in Kilkee:-

https://vimeo.com/1051930066/6566a46337?&login=true#_=_

Self with Dr Simon Berrow of the IWDG and John O'Mahony of Belco Marine electronics 
on stage in the Sweeney Library, Kilkee.