Did you ever see that video on National Geographic where the monkey gets his hand caught in a coconut and he goes all spazzy throwing his arm up and down and all around every which way trying to get the hand free...? Well, those monkey moves kinda remind me of the gyrations that often occur when you try to teach someone to steer a boat with a tiller. Wheels are comforting to people. There is nothing foreign about a steering wheel-we use em' every day. A new sailor's confidence is bolstered by the sight and feel of the wheel. Familiarity! A TILLER though is another story. What is this archaic piece of medieval contraptionry? You can see it in their eyes. They don't want to touch it! And when they do, many times its the monkey moves revisited........thats OK too......this is just an observation not a criticism. Its just funny to me. You know who are the easiest to teach the tiller to? No, you say. KIDS!! In my experiences teaching kids sailing they get the dynamics of the tiller quickly and become proficient in no time at all. Much better than adults. You psychologists out there probably know why this is so. This last weekend my 13 year old grandson took ZOSHA's tiller for the first time. It was a beautiful day on Galveston Bay 10-12 knots of wind, smooth water, sunny, coolish temp, perfect!! In about 20 minutes he had it down! The boat was his. Gimme a beer. Can't wait to go out with him again..........he is a natural... but you know what....? so was his mom!
Take care my friends and ............."may you live every day of your life"
-Jonathan Swift
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