water ponies

I think of our boats as water ponies.

Several weeks ago, before we had two boats, I imagined slapping the name Water Pony on a hull of a Sunfish.

I wanted to be a jockey. For the majority of my life. I'm 5'2 and 105 pounds (not pure muscle and bone, I like my chocolate, thanks), and I am a freaking horse nerd that settled for horse camps and Breyer models, because as much as my mother loved me, she could not magic a horse to be mine.

But sailing a Sunfish reminds me of riding a horse. I tried to explain this to him on our last sail of the year, and to my brother, who has put up with my horse obsession longer than Mike.

Sunfish are around the size of a horse, take up similar floor space, and because of their size, feel like a ride on an animal. When I hold the mainsheet and rudder, I feel like I'm on living creature, I feel the "mouth" of the horse in my hands as well as its movement over the ground (water). I tried to explain this to Mike as we sailed together, me holding the mainsheet and him on the rudder. I know when the reins are too lax, are just right and talking to the horse, and when I'm fighting him (I've got him too tight and on a choke hold) The mainsheet and rudder are my reins. I get a better sense of what's happening by the feel in my hands than looking at the sail and looking at flags and sails around me. I can tell when the wind starts to shift, or the horse is thinking about shying at something up the trail.

I don't know if this makes much sense to anyone else, but I think it endears these boats to me further. I can't have a horse, though I wish to one day, and I'm okay with that. These "water ponies" downstairs are my horses for now. It's why I "groomed" (washed) them tonight and am anxious to condition them over winter. They are only objects, pure manmade material, but I am ascribing personalities to them. You don't have to do this with horses. They have personality. But I like to think that the longer we own and the more we sail these boats, the more their personalities will shine
through.

I can't wait for spring to come and to feel Woody taking on the lakes, once we give him a decent turn in the water ring. How will he stack up to Blue, who has proven herself but seems to have some dings in her old legs? These are my water ponies, and I love them.