The Metaphysics of Boating or Yup! Melville was right!

...Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off- then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can.

These words come from that great American novel, Moby Dick. Oddly, it's November and I feel the same way. I miss the water! 

Herman Melville was perhaps the first to describe boating as metaphysics. He actually used that word twice in the first chapter.  What does he mean? Perhaps he said it best, "Say you are in the country; in some high land of lakes. Take almost any path you please, and ten to one it carries you down in a dale, and leaves you there by a pool in the stream. There is magic in it."

And just exactly what is that magic?  Well, you don't have to read the whole novel. Just read this from Chris Cross:

Sailing

Well, it's not far down to paradise, at least it's not for me
And if the wind is right you can sail away and find tranquility
Oh, the canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see.
Believe me.

It's not far to never-never land, no reason to pretend
And if the wind is right you can find the joy of innocence again
Oh, the canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see.
Believe me.

[Chorus]
Sailing takes me away to where I've always heard it could be
Just a dream and the wind to carry me
And soon I will be free

Fantasy, it gets the best of me
When I'm sailing
All caught up in the reverie, every word is a symphony
Won't you believe me?

[Chorus]

Well it's not far back to sanity, at least it's not for me
And if the wind is right you can sail away and find serenity
Oh, the canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see.
Believe me.

[Chorus]

You can listen to it if you would like: http://youtu.be/zY2kCJYL1vQ

Chris Cross

  

I love his choice of words: paradise, Never Never Land, tranquility, serenity, innocence, reverie, free, miracles, and especially dream. The feeling of dreaming and the feeling of boating are very similar. On the water, you feel no gravity, only floating and drifting. The dream is a return to a state of innocence, a state of freedom, a way of finding serenity.

Okay, some people never feel that way. They fight the elements. They get sea sick. They can't let go. I know. I often feel the same.

My last trip this season took place in early November. I launched on the Mississippi, at Hidden Falls, just below Lock and Dam #1. The river is narrow here, smaller than the Saint Croix. Kids were playing on the shore nearby. They were skipping stones all the way across. But the current is swift, about 5 MPH.

You have to be diligent, especially in a little dinghy like mine, staying out of the main current and avoiding any snags as well as wakes from the power boats. One little mistake could spell real disaster. You also have to row for all you're worth to make any progress, concentrating on technique, establishing a steady rhythm, etc. Never mind Chris Cross. Boating can be hard work! 

The current picked up as I got closer to the dam. I felt powerless and utterly defeated. So I turned about and headed for home. That's the magic happened. I began to drift. The boat picked up speed and I found myself in the middle of the river, riding on the back of Mother Nature as people of all kinds have done for tens of thousands of years. I was floating, but I could have been flying. My mental state changed accordingly. I had assumed a state of reverie.

And that's the metaphysics of boating. It's not just a journey outward. It's also a journey inward. It is like a dream. You can't help but let go and let the greater world take over. And that kind of letting go can sometimes be the measure of a man.

Okay, dear readers, one more song:

Row row row your boat

gently down the stream

Merrily merrily merrily

Life is but a dream

Wikipedia makes a big deal about the meaning of this little nursery rhyme. You might wish to check it out:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Row,_Row,_Row_Your_Boat

Perhaps you heard the song, Where to now Saint Peter? by Elton John. It's better known as Blue Canoe:

I took myself a blue canoe
And I floated like a leaf
Dazzling, dancing
Half enchanted
In my Merlin sleep

Crazy was the feeling
Restless were my eyes
Insane they took the paddles
My arms were paralyzed


So where to now Saint Peter
If it's true I'm in your hands
I may not be a Christian
But I've done all one man can
I understand the road I'm on
Where all that was is gone
So where to now Saint Peter
Show me which road I'm on
Which road I'm on


The "blue canoe" is a metaphor for the transition from life to whatever is on the other side. Maybe that's what boat rides are all about! Perhaps they are a subtle reminder of our own smallness and thejourney through life and beyond.

Some time long ago, high in the Himalayas, a famous Dali Lama once said, "Life is a dream that we all agreed to have." Every once in a while it takes a row boat ride to remind me of that. Melville was right. That's the metaphysics of boating!

The Prodigal: somewhere between earth and sky

The Good Old Days of Boating

I must confess that I enjoy the solitude of boating. I know, of course, that it's a little ironic to be doing that here in the cities. But the words population density mean nothing once you get out on the water. Granted, there are a lot of boats on a Saturday at Lake Calhoun, Lake Harriet, or Lake Nokomis. The rest of the time, however, it's pretty quiet. Quite often I've shared a lake with just one or two die hard fishermen. A funny thing happens when boaters pass by each other. People are friendly, often acknowledging each other with a wave or a nod, seldom by speaking.  I've sometimes thought about the reason for this. It's a matter of courtesy. They respect each other's privacy. Of course, several times I've been completely alone, too.

Bygone days at Lake Como: Once the shore was lined with boats for rent

I rowed Lake Como any number of times this past summer. I live close by. Rarely have I ever seen another boater. Oddly enough, there are about a half a dozen peddle boats for rent. at the pavilion. The park makes them available, but they are seldom used. Meanwhile, the path which surrounds the lake is filled with joggers and strollers. I am frequently stopped by them when I put in or take out. Almost always the comment is something like, "What a good idea!"

Bygone days at Lake Calhoun

Even boating on  Lake Calhoun has seen better days. The photo above shows the opening of the channel to Lake of the Isles. All those canoes! And most of them are filled with more than two people! Granted, this was a special occasion. There were probably lots of dignitaries and a couple of rousing speeches. But even then the point is being made. Any city improvement which involved the sport of boating was an event...and,  judging from the turn out, a big event at that.

Canoe docks at Lake Phalen: What has happened?

Of course, these pictures were taken before the days of high def televisions, X Box, and laptops. And people still take to the parks today. But the culture has changed. A lake is not something to be savored or explored anymore. There is no process of discovery. It has become something to run around. It's a quiet shift in paradigms.

Of course, the way in which we think has changed too. We still have lots of watercraft here in Minnesota, the "boatingest" state in the union. One in six of us owns something that floats. Ninety percent of them have something with a motor attached. You can see them trailering out of town on I94 on any given Friday afternoon.

Personally, I'm not sure if all of those power boaters are really "getting away from it all," or having a big adventure with all of the other power boats. The Lower Saint Croix, for example, gets pretty crowded on the weekends. I think it's much quieter right here in town!