Curious

Will boating kill us, or save our lives?
Leisure sailing is overwhelmingly perceived as a high-risk activity. This fear is easy to understand, fueled by the ocean's unpredictable forces, the need for specialised skills, and the constant potential for human error. Non-sailors instinctively conjure dramatic worst-case scenarios: rogue waves, vessels crashing onto rocks, capsizes, and man-overboard incidents.This widespread fear, however, masks a profound and vital paradox. When practised responsibly—with proper training, essential safety gear, and vessel maintenance—the actual danger is statistically low. Most sailing accidents are attributable to preventable human factors such as intoxication, lack of training, or the absence of lifejackets.Crucially, there is undeniable evidence that the opposite of popular belief is true: the lifestyle and inherent demands of sailing and its related activities undeniably contribute to better overall health, reduced stress, and increased well-being—factors linked to a longer, healthier life.

Nautical terms that have sailed into everyday language
This curious observation stems from a week spent sailing around The Solent with a friend on the south coast of England. As we chatted from morning till night, we began noticing recurring phrases we used in non sailing related discussions stemmed from the marine. These phrases kept halting our conversations, as we started to increasingly identify the sailing jargon that had become common sayings, and started to wonder about it.