I have carefully read your letter. You speak of the sea and also of the storm where you look, uncertainty and life. I gather you're very young, and something that I wanted to tell about it. I have 59 years and I love the sea, but it just sailed through the Mediterranean. Passed the age where I seduced other seas and other costs. With gray in his beard and wrinkles on the face finished confirming that my true home is the place old and wise, memory and shipwrecks white candles for where they came from the heroes, gods and ancient legends that I was raised with the sound of surf, beaches where the fire made of driftwood, callused hands men with oars and nets, leathery skin and eyes burned with salt, snuff smoking black, boiling cauldrons of rice and roasted sardines. Who does not know these waters rather than the banks, the thought always gentle, blue, gentle sunrises and sunsets red. Aware that some of the fiercest storms can unleash on them without warning, the sea pounding so heartless, fickle and treacherous. Indeed, no sea is bad people. Is the wind that makes it dangerous and deadly. But unlike the Atlantic, where temporary can sometimes be prevented in intensity, trajectory and duration, and where the wave is usually long, stretched, more manageable, the Mediterranean unleashes his fury of a sudden, unexpected winds and short wave, killing, crushing ships and depletes those the crewmembers. I lived among sailors since childhood, and grew up with tales of ships and sea. I never forgot the respect with which old masters, seasoned in all oceans, they spoke of terrible sea storms up north in the Gulf of Lions. Then over time, I myself had the opportunity to see in person how he is able to hit the blue Mediterranean when it becomes moody and goat. When it gets gray beards.
In one of those things I talked about here before: on the oil tanker was Puertollano, Christmas 1970, and had a horrible Tues doubling the Cape Bon, off the coast of Tunisia, with ten-meter waves and wind scale Beaufort is known as hard time, force 10. At other times not escaped the dreaded mistral Gulf of Lion or hard northwestern Sardinia channel, with the anguish involved in such cases, command of your own ship, making decisions, and it is a sailboat with crew members whose lives are responsible. And I assure you that a force 8 mistral beating on starboard tack for hours with just a staysail up, the more reduced to last loop and the ship, courageous, faithful and sailor, bless-eight knots sailing heeled to the gunwale, giving slamming, spray and gusts machete chop the damn Mediterranean, is something that, however much you love the sea, can make you disown him, the ships and the mother who gave birth.
However, there is something good about it. When everything ends happily, if the boat sailed well governed and are safe in calm waters, something that warms your spirit with legitimate pride, passed the test. You took the boat to port, the crew and yourself. Are marine. Did things as you should, and now you're safe. Left to your own strength, teeth tight, no fuss, you were far away, where no one can say stop, hey, I under stand this. And much yachtsman title you have at home, you have the best certified sailing the world came out alive, with your boat. Because if it is true that the sea, when he wants, just kill anyone, even the best ocean, it is also true that first settled at the dull, the arrogant and stupid, to those who lack sufficient experience or humility -that there are synonyms, to understand that the sea, accurate reflection of life, with unexpected storms and reefs lurking somewhere, it is rather dangerous. And a healthy and constant uncertainty distrust of those who know always in enemy territory, it helps to stay alive.
And, well. That is all, or almost. Just wanted to say that, like the sea, mirror of life, also deceptively strong land-is-perfect storms that pass through the human heart, testing, feeling its strength and courage. And there's no better training and eye sailor to deal with them, besides a healthy uncertainty, the clarity, toughness and culture. They will help you survive in your particular time of force 8. And in the worst case, if there is no other, to lose your ship fighting to the end, quiet and serene as a good sailor. With the consolation that you did all my best.
Arturo Perez-Reverte
0 comments:
Post a Comment