03/14/2025 ICW Day 73 : Sick – again

After yesterday’s record run, we were ahead of schedule. We had reserved an AirBnb for tomorrow, but it was already cold and wet. We discussed the option of adding a day, and wrote to our host. They were on vacation in Portugal, but sure! We could come a day early. It was just a key code to enter and we were glad we did because I got sick again with another cold. Ugh. That is two colds in a very short time frame. I thought these additional medications might help with my immune system, but maybe not 😞

I continue to be enthralled with sailing, though I’m a little disappointed in our speed. I did do some calculations, and ona boat that is so small, the “Sail Area to Displacement Ratio” rapidly decreases as you add weight. The boat by itself would actually be very fast with its existing sail plan, but as soon as you add each person and corresponding gear, you lose knots. Then it is a choice of removing weight or adding sail power… the age old story of non motorized travel.

By the way, up until about 200 years ago, sailing was the fastest way to get around. According to Grok:

“While precise speed logs weren’t common pre-1829, accounts suggest ships like those of Christopher Columbus (1492) averaged 4-8 knots on transatlantic voyages, with bursts up to 11-12 knots in ideal conditions. Faster ships, like Dutch fluyts or English race-built galleons, likely pushed 15 knots in short sprints."

For Reference, our little boat is about the same speed as Columbus'

Grok continues, "Sailing was the fastest method when conditions aligned—outrunning horses over distance and dwarfing human-powered boats. A ship catching a gale could cover 150-200 nautical miles in a day (173-230 statute miles), a feat unmatched by any pre-1829 land travel. By contrast, the best horse relays (e.g., 100 miles/day) or runners (e.g., Inca chasquis at 10-15 miles/day) fell short."

It wasn’t until 1829 that the steam powered locomotive began to show promise of out distancing sailboats.

Sailing is pretty cool, huh? That also explains why we have so many expressions that persist to this day that use sailing terms to describe things in every day life:


1. “Know the ropes” - Be skilled, from mastering a ship’s sail rigging.
2. “All hands on deck” - Everyone’s help is needed, from summoning the crew to manage sails in a crisis.
3. “Batten down the hatches” - Prepare for trouble, from securing hatches before a storm hits the sails.
4. “Three sheets to the wind” - Drunk or unsteady, from loose sail ropes causing erratic motion.
5. “The calm before the storm” - A quiet lull before chaos, from the stillness preceding a squall.
6. “A loose cannon” - Unpredictable, from a cannon rolling free on a sailing ship’s deck.
7. “In the doldrums” - Stagnant, from windless regions stalling sailing ships.
8. “Take the wind out of your sails” - Deflate someone’s momentum, from stealing wind from another ship’s sails.
9. “Smooth sailing” - Smooth and easy, from uneventful sail navigation.
10. “By and large” - Overall, from sailing both into and with the wind.
11. “Show your true colors” - Reveal your real intentions, from sailing ships hoisting their national flags (colors) to identify themselves.
12. “Give a wide berth” - Avoid, from steering clear of another sailing vessel.
13. “Under the weather” - Sick, from sailors sent below during rough seas under sail.
14. “High and dry” - Stranded, like a sailing ship aground without wind or tide.
15. “Cut and run” - Flee quickly, from cutting anchor to sail away.
16. “Full sail ahead” - Full effort, from a ship with all sails deployed.
17. “Trim your sails” - Adapt, from adjusting sails for optimal wind use.
18. “Riding out the storm” - Enduring hardship, from a sailing ship staying afloat through rough weather under reduced sail
19. “Make headway” - Advance, from a sailing ship progressing against wind.
20. “Keel over” - Collapse or die, from a sailing ship tipping over when its keel breaks the surface.
21. “Hand over fist” - Quickly and steadily, from sailors hauling ropes (like sheets or halyards) hand over hand.
22. “At the helm” - In charge, from steering a sailing ship at the wheel or tiller