A Measure of Success: Boating is not just about winning the race
Jim Snair


I have to admit, when my editor sent me the topic for this issue, I was a bit gun shy about writing it.

Suzanne suggested I write about my successes on the water in 2009.

“Wow,” I thought. I pondered my predicament. “Geez, we didn’t really have any success on the water.”

It’s true, this year was about as “off” a year as a sailboat racer could have. Not one podium finish. Not even close.

But I thought about what she asked a bit more. Was she asking me to tell people about how we finished first in some regatta or race? Or was she asking me about “fun on the water?” To answer these two questions was easy: Since I’d had none of the former, I must have had a lot of the latter. And so I pondered…

As I look back over 2009 there is a lot to be thankful for in addition to having a lot of fun on the water.

This sport we call “boating” develops friendships that span economic lines and international boundaries. I have friends I sailed with 30 years ago whom I see every few years with invitations to meet somewhere and go boating regardless of the season it happens to be right here in Atlantic Canada.

And so the year that is almost over had a lot of fun moments despite an economic climate that hasn’t been the most fun.

In the summer of 2008 a friend and competitor invited me to sail in Key West. Was it fun? Absolutely! How’d we do? Not so good! But here’s my memory of the event: Leave Halifax at -5C in the dark and arrive in Key West (also in the dark) at 22C. I spent a whole week sailing in January, living in a rented house, wandering around in shorts (when not sailing) and sailing six days in a row! We had some laughs as we lived together with 1.5 baths and seven people in a 3.5 bedroom place. Was it fun to do Key West? YES! I’m glad I went – if anybody ever asks you to go – like the Nike commercial suggests “Just Do It!”

So, I arrive home and dive into planning for this year’s biannual running of the Marblehead to Halifax Race. As part of this year’s race I volunteer to do the delivery, despite disappearing from home and work for almost two weeks in prime season, again something I don’t regret in hindsight. How’d we do? Terribly! But I have so many fun memories from the delivery, our time in Salem and our race back that I smile to myself each time I think about those two weeks. And one of the neat parts was taking my son, Ben, offshore on his first delivery. Ben learned a lot about fog and how to eat cold food — and love it — after our stove went down. He learned about stuff that stays “on the road.” Was it fun? Absolutely. Every part was fun, including when the batteries died on our boat 20 hours from the finish and when we watch our crew of 13 figure out how to use the plastic bucket!

So I return to driving my desk and start the wind up for Chester Race Week. Summer flies by for all of us who boat in Atlantic Canada and before long our local race week was upon us. We sailed a great tune-up race, missing first by under a minute. How’d we do for the week? Near the bottom! Did we have fun? Yep, those moments during the race, the before and the meals after were all good times.

And so another week of my life was consumed on a boat. Not such a bad deal really – if you’re counting that I escaped my desk for four weeks of boating. In hindsight, each of the times were perfect breaks, perfect for regrouping and perfect just because they were all adventures.

But there is one more moment: Did we win? No. Did we race? No. We actually went on a very short day cruise. Nine of us motored out to Ironbound (just south of Tancook Island in Mahone Bay) in late August. Another day away from my desk, but what a fun day! We explored an island that is inhabited by only a few people. It was like going into a time warp and arriving at 1955. Once off the boat, the buildings, the overgrown roads, the wildlife and the destruction from Hurricane Bill all added to the visual effect. I took about 300 photos that day. We sailed home at speeds approaching 10 knots late that afternoon after only four hours ashore, all smiling. As we looked over our stern, the southeast winds sent the fog toward us and we watched Ironbound being swallowed in the grey mist.

So when Suzanne asks me “What was my success of 2009” I can say every moment on the water. Every moment.