Easier said than done, definitely. But something I reflected upon while sailing in Scotland recently.
We set off for the day at the same time as another boat. We put the sails up and revelled in the peace and tranquillity of this way of travelling. The other boat (also a sailing yacht) motored off into the distance. We were heading into the wind, so had to tack.
If you haven’t come across this term since Swallows and Amazons(!), it means you need to zigzag to make forward progress, when you’re under sail.
I’m new to boats and revelling in learning how to sail. I see the joy my partner gets from consulting tide charts, checking wind direction, and from the sheer physicality of sailing. Motoring bypasses all this experience and (for me) the learning.
So if you find yourself sailing into the wind, rather than motoring through – as can be very tempting – take things slowly, and try some zigzagging to see what you can learn along the way. There is revelation and learning to be had in the most difficult of journeys.