Labour day was started in Canada in 1880. It was started when the Typographical Union went on strike, refusing to work a 58 hour work week. They compromised when the companies said that they could work a 54 hour work week instead.

It is tradition after Labour Day weekend to wear white.

Does hoisting a white sail count?

Despite weather conditions being less than ideal, we cast off and tried stretching our sails out for the first time.

My lovely husband asked me, as I doned the green life jacket, “Did you choose the most decrepit life jacket on purpose?”

….Maybe…

We didn’t go too far, as the weather man was calling for gale force winds, patches of fog, possible lightening and rain. Could it get more pessimistic? But no thanks to the weather man, we had a great little toodle about in the bay.

Now that the sailor in me is appeased for the day, I’m off to bake challah and talk movies at the film group I accidentally joined.

Happy Labour Day!

So, we bought a boat.

Yes, really.

I’m in shock too. Or perhaps rather surprised is a better way to put it. As much as it would seem, this was not an impulsive buy. We were looking at boats last year and have always talked about owning a nice little sailboat. Then we found one in our price range and jumped on it.

Please meet Nesika. She is a 25ft C&C sailboat.

We have yet to take her out as she was just delivered on Tuesday night. So, weather permitting, we are taking her for a romp on the weekend.

We’ve already got a crew who are eager to get out there too.

Well, crew, let’s go sailing!

“Men go back to the mountains, as they go back to sailing ships at sea, because in the mountains and on the sea, they must face up.” -Henry David Thoreau

“Whoever is staring at the sea is already sailing a little.”                -Paul Carvel

I grew up with my parents sailing. We had a beautiful boat and I have many fond memories as a child on the sailboat. We would sail nearly every weekend from Easter to Thanksgiving. As children, I learned about sailing through osmosis. My favourite books to read about sailing were “Kids for Sail” by Pamela & Sue Bendall, “Dove” by Robin Graham and “Maiden Voyage” by Tanya Aebi.

I have great memories of Squirrel Cove in Desolation Sound with a tiny house that produced amazing cinnamon buns every morning, and the smell wafting out over the anchorage, the billows of flour coming out of the cottage’s windows like clouds. Sailing by Lasquiti island(which we called Mosquiti for obvious reasons) and Rebecca Spit and laughing at the names. We loved climbing over the old rusty tractors on Wallace Island and looking for gold in Pirate’s Cove.

Now, I actually pay attention to the mechanics of sailing when I go out. I watch the sails fill with air, like chubby cheeks, and the wake behind the boat, the lean as the wind pushes us along. It thrills me.

So now, to depart this love of sailing, this hobby that is so soaked with memories, to my dear husband. It was not a hard sell.

His sense of adventure is only one of the reasons I love the man.

And, this is only one of the reasons I need to live near the ocean.

“Say it’s only a paper moon, sailing over a cardboard sea.” -E. Y Harburg