Skiff

[Stephen Whiteside]

This is the other side of sailing. I sail a Javelin dinghy, essentially a slightly cut-down version of a 14 foot skiff. I contemplated buying the latter, but the dealer said, "What you have to understand about a 14 foot skiff is that it is basically trying to kill you." So I bought the Jav instead. It is also trying to kill me, just slightly more slowly.

Skiff

Stephen Whiteside 03.02.2012

(with apologies to Rudyard Kipling)

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
Especially that bugger on the trap wire
Who chooses to identify as 'crew';
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting
For breeze to blow away the dreaded calm;
If you can ghost along at half a rat power
And find, in all your efforts, still some charm;

If you can raise the kite when breeze is willing,
And ride each crest that races on its way,
With salt in mouth and eyes, while ever thrilling
To jolting rides in spumes of blinding spray;
If you can drive the bow beneath the water,
And spend a good time swimming in the sea,
Wondering just why on earth you bought 'er,
You'll be a bloody idiot like me!

[Maureen K Clifford]

but such a nice idiot Stephen - I suspect you actually have a bit of a love affair going with your little boat

Nicely written

[Stephen Whiteside]

Yeah, well...

[Neville Briggs]

Sounds good Stephen, you should consider going in the Todd River races, I belive they would welcome some good dinghy skippers there.