Can Good Enough Really be Good Enough?
Perfection? Never!
There is a certain type of woman who wants to learn to handle a boat.
To the letter, she is the type of woman who is extremely good at something she does on land. She might be a CEO who has earned respect in her industry. She might be a rockstar Mom who confidently raises kids, manages a household, and creates a safe and secure place to nurture her family. She might excel at a sport professionally or recreationally - mopping the competition with her ability to focus and push her body just a little harder than most. She might be an expert on religion or science or cake baking.
This type of woman wants to control her surroundings. She expects results for her effort. She doesn’t want to be embarrassed. She strives for perfection.
When this type of women decides she wants to learn to drive a boat - enough to pilot it independently - she brings with her all the confidence she has on land only to quickly discover that her expertise managing a board of directors or a finicky fondant doesn’t directly carry over, or mean much of anything, when she’s just learning to sort out wind, waves, and current for the first time.
I would offer this advice to the frustrated novice learning to drive a motorboat. Perfection is the enemy. Prioritize safety - and then shoot for “good enough.”
“ Perfection is the enemy. ”
Good Enough Docking
No one cares exactly how you get the boat to the dock. As long as no one gets hurt and you don’t gouge a hole in the fiberglass, it doesn’t matter if you can perfectly “parallel park.” It doesn’t matter if you only manage to get your bow to the dock and then rope the stern into place. No one really even cares if you ever so gently nestle your boat against the next guy’s boat (if you don’t scratch it) when you are shimmying into a tight spot. You don’t ever have to dock “perfectly.”
Good Enough Navigating
You do NOT need to keep on driving your boat if you don’t know where you are going! Navigating is not a secret. Just stop the vessel, read your chart or your GPS and then carry on - safely. You can do that a thousand times as you make your way from point A to point B. You do NOT have to memorize the entire Atlantic seaboard before you leave the dock. Eventually you will have memorized one or two routes to get to your favorite spots and guess what? That’s good enough!
Good Enough Anchoring
You get the idea. Obviously, you’re never going to anchor in seagrass or coral, but beyond that, just do your best. And if your anchor drags. . . . reset it. You don’t have to be in a rush. Give yourself the permission to figure out the best way for you to use your gear and your boat. It will be good enough.
Good Enough Knots
Learn how to cleat a line and tie a bowline and . . . that’s good enough. These two knots will keep your boat on the dock every time. It’s unlikely you’re ever going to need to learn how to tie a sheep’s head or a carrick bend or the many other knots out there. It is okay to be okay with that.
I’m the first one to focus on safety and I would never recommend anyone jump on a boat in haste. Assuming the job of “captain” is serious business. But let’s not let the idea of perfection . . . of all things . . . stop us from accessing the rejuvenating power of the sea.