Sailing on the Clearwater

A few years ago, my family and I were invited to sail on the Clearwater.  The Clearwater is a 106 ft. sloop, a sailboat that sails up and down the Hudson River to promote environmental awareness and protection of the Hudson River.  The idea for such a sailboat came from folk singer and environmental activist Pete Seeger.

The Clearwater sails with a crew of six: first and second mates, a deckhand, bosun, engineer, and cook.  If the sloop were to sail with less than six crew members, it would be difficult sailing.  

On our short excursion onboard the Clearwater, they let us have a hand in hoisting the mainsail. I could see that with fewer people the task would have been much more difficult.  

With less than the necessary crew, a voyage on the Clearwater would be slow and frustrating, and if the crew is too small, the ship simply can’t sail. Without the necessary crew members the ship would be doomed to remain moored at the same dock until a full crew could be found.

So too, each one of us needs a full crew. We can’t successfully sail the deep waters of life alone. We need friends. We need people who can be a part of our lives and help us when the seas get rough or when there’s no wind to fill our sails. Don’t go it alone. Take time to make friends. It could make the difference between happy sailing or crashing on the rocks.