As a parent of young children, I think a lot about time—both its fleeting nature and how I used to have more of it. I made good use of my freedom in those time-rich, pre-kid days—I certainly sailed a lot—but I neither recognized nor appreciated the surplus.
This is our Seattle Boat Show issue—the big event runs Jan. 30 through Feb. 7, come visit us in booth WEST1! The boat show inspires me to think about the recreational marine industry as the sum of its parts; and especially to consider the ways that we present ourselves to the countless folks dipping their toes into the proverbial waters of boat-life this month.
That’s what led me to reflect on time. Owning, sharing, chartering, cruising, or just learning about boats is a significant time commitment. I often see an active effort to minimize or smooth-over all that a boat requires, time very much included. That’s where my perspective diverges: I see the time a boat demands as a benefit.
Even the quickest-fix version of sailing represents my biggest commitment of time—outside of work and family responsibilities—in an average week. Perhaps that makes some think, “Yeesh, too much.” But the opposite is both true and a central part of the appeal.
The journalist and author, Brigid Schulte, coined the term “time confetti” to frame and explain what I’d paraphrase as two contradictory truths: first, people in the developed world have more free-time than in eras past (per numerous economic studies); second, most people don’t feel that way. Her notion of time confetti illustrates the fragmentation of leisure time into small bites throughout the day, providing less benefit than a larger block. These confetti moments are often occupied by filler (especially of the digital variety) we seldom choose with intention and that has the effect of draining our cognitive systems and well-being in spite of being categorically free. To me, any experience with boats is an invitation to do less more deeply—the antithesis and antidote to the problematic overwhelm of time confetti.
A boat project may suck-up far more hours than anticipated, but offers focus, problem solving, and (eventually) satisfaction. Outfitting your boat for a future cruise or race is an act of inherent intention—planning, forecasting, routing, and envisioning. Cast off the dock lines and you’re transported to another world of in-the-moment presence that is difficult to replicate anywhere else. I know a lot of boat-folk, and not one heads out on the water to catch-up on their work emails or doom scroll social media. An hour off the dock involves allocating twice that amount of time, or more; but when the boat is tucked in and you’re walking back up the dock, what you’ve lost in time will be replaced by gains tenfold.
To me, it’s boating’s honest, counterintuitive lifestyle pitch. “Sign away your hard-earned resources, assume a pile of risk, and commit unknowable amounts of time and energy. It’s a lot to give, but wait ’til you see what you get. You’re welcome!”
Of course, the idyllic and dreamworthy promises of waterborne adventures on the Salish Sea endure. The freedom to explore in solitude or community, the infinite encounters with wildlife, the experiences shared between crewmates, the fulfillment of a challenge, and the magic of connection to the sea and its wondrous surroundings. But those things are already in the brochure.
Our decision to commit, to really choose, how to spend our free-time consolidates confetti into something real, valuable, and profound. A person can’t do much better than a boat. It’s funny how much this sentiment parallels parenting. A lot of what makes these things hard, what demands so much time, is exactly what reaps the rewards people spend their whole lives seeking. Who’s ready to buy a boat? (Or have a kid?!) The time will be very, very well spent.
Joe Cline
Joe Cline has been the Managing Editor of 48° North since 2014. From his career to his volunteer leadership in the marine industry, from racing sailboats large and small to his discovery of Pacific Northwest cruising —Joe is as sail-smitten as they come. Joe and his wife, Kaylin, have welcomed a couple of beautiful kiddos in the last few years, and he is enjoying fatherhood while still finding time to make a little music and even occasionally go sailing.
