I have been enjoying blogposts by Jenn Harkness, AKA Skipper Jenn, about women and sailing for the last couple of years. She has tackled some of the challenges women face as skippers and sailors, taking on leadership roles in an arena recognized for being technical and physical and being dominated by males. She offers a refreshing perspective and sense of humor, starting with her hilarious logo and the name of her boat, Poop Deck. She has begun a new series of interviews with women sailors she admires. I was flattered to be her first choice for an interview. From there she blew me away with her flattering accolades, calling me a “badass.” But what made her interview so fun and interesting for me is the areas she probed and the questions she asked.
Here’s a snippet:
At the Port Townsend women’s panel Wendy made a comment I have turned over in my head many times. She said, “You really discover who you are out there.” I finally was able to ask her, what did you mean by that? Her answer was so complete and eloquent I have it here in full. “In society we spend our time being daughters, sisters, mothers, coworkers, spouses; our life is in relation to others. When we are out there sailing, we are more in relation to ourselves and nature than anything. So, it’s a chance to redefine who we are outside of our relationship to others. There is so much time to think about what is important, what feeds our soul. To appreciate nature and what’s going on right now, you can find an inner peace that comes from just being rather than doing. Rather than performing or trying to be perfect, you can live in the moment…”
Read the rest here.
(https://skipperjenn.com/2019/10/28/wit-and-wisdom-wendy-hinman-on-sailing/)
