--- title: 15 practical lessons I learned watching a YouTube channel on sailing (without owning a boat) description: > I like calm clever machines like sailboats. They are efficient and paradoxical: they can be simple from one perspective but complex from another; they can be the slowest way to travel an ocean but can be the fastest if you call one of them home. Here is what I learned after watching videos by people who live in sailboats. template: post output: atomic-essays/15-practical-lessons-i-learned-watching-a-youtube-channel-on-sailing-without-owning-a-boat.html date: "2021-07-14" tags: - atomic-essays ---

I like calm clever machines like sailboats.

They are efficient and paradoxical: they can be simple from one perspective but complex from another; they can be the slowest way to travel an ocean but can be the fastest if you call one of them home.

In the past year, I’ve been watching a YouTube channel called Hashtag Sal.

In most episodes, the host Adriano Plotzki interviews people from diverse backgrounds who live in sailboats. Although I’m interested in learning about sailboats, I most enjoy how Adriano conducts the interviews. He asks questions that lead people to tell stories and share their perspectives.

Here is what I learned after watching many episodes:

There are many types of houses. Some float
You don’t need to live on a sailboat. But you can
You need to know how to do things by yourself
You need to know when not to do things by yourself
You don’t need to cruise around the world. But you can
You need to ask smart questions to hear good stories
Stories build perspective repertoire
Calm machines lead to calm users
You need to be moving to change direction
Too much wind is dangerous. Too little is boring
Freedom can be risky. Communities make it safer
You don’t need to own a boat to starting learning
Most essential skills are affordable to learn (e.g., knots)
You don’t need to be a millionaire to have a different lifestyle
Have a plan but drop anchor or change routes when necessary