BY JOVANA PETKOVIC ⌂ FEBRUARY 8, 2018.
photo by Jovana Petkovic
After living on the sea shore my entire life of thirty years, I must admit I took it for granted most of the time, although we love each other very much. (I meant the sea, though life also often eluded me in a way). This was not supposed to sound like I use people, those I love and those that love me, like I was living my life solely out of interest, it means that the state of things is: I, born and raised in Tivat, go to the beach strictly (as if my doctor was there spying and making sure I follow his instructions) until 10am/11am tops and strictly after 4:30 pm; I hate deckchairs: plastic, wooden, canvas or whatever, paired with a parasol and a cocktail for an all-inclusive experience. I love when my body is temporarily tattooed with all the beach pebbels from lying in the sun for so long; I only use two styles when swimming: breaststroke and backstroke. I don’t ride boards, skiis, jet skis or inflatables; I don’t frequent beach parties, those annoy me; I don’t like olive oil, neither on me nor in me. I only eat certain fish dishes and I don’t like other seafood. But the sea likes me, and it just won’t let me live anywhere else but on its shores, although I tried to leave and threatened to only visit on holidays or vacations. And I know all its moods, scents and colors, I know its winds and storms, and I love each and every rock and wave of my bay. And I don’t know how to sail.
Still, the sea wanted to get to know me even better, so it brought me together with a man, a sailor and a mariner from a sailing family (about them: http://www.charter-montenegro.me/contact-about/about-us1-charter-montenegro-herceg-novi),with sailing habits, sailing commitments and a sailing way of life and said – figure it out! And now, I am going to tell you why you should spend your vacation sailing.
I still can’t actually operate a sailboat but it doesn’t matter, I’m trying and I’m loving it! I never miss the opportunity to venture out to sea with a sailboat. If it’s a training lesson, I go as support. If it’s a regatta, I’m counted as part of the crew but I still go only to cheer, to root for my team or even just to pass the winch handle if I happen to be close to it. If it is a casual joy ride, I go to enjoy myself the most! But, without fail, I always go as a photographer, and even though sometimes I’m a hindrance on board, on land I’m sought by all because I have all the proof of the good time they had, in black and white or in living color. I’m never in those photos, because what I see and feel in those moments on the sea transcend that medium.
So, why should you spend your vacation on a sailboat even though you cannot sail? Well, even then will you enjoy it like a king! You will be taken care of by the man who knows the stuff, and you won’t be wondering if the winds are favorable, if there’s enough fuel and water, if all the fenders are there and if all the crew members are on board, because your man is a professional skipper. Wake up in the morning in perfect bliss, in the ideal harmony of two shades of blue, make yourself a cup of coffee just as you like it, and start planning your day. Or don’t, leave the planning to your skipper. Dive into the crystal clear water, far away from the crowded beaches, clamor and overly loud music. You are in a floating lounge, and you don’t care what time it is, or if the sun is too strong (and if your doctor is shaking his head in disapproval). You don’t need deckchairs or towels (sometimes you don’t even need a swimsuit); you swim whenever you want, however you want and however much you want; there’s no monotony, you choose the place and you easily change course, because you can; you visit a beach party only if you really want to, or you just anchor near it so people can envy you: because they do, they envy that all-inclusive luxury of floating free; you choose to either sleep in, lulled in a peaceful and hidden cove, to dock in a marina of the city whose night life you want to experience, or moored to a small village pier, ejoying a quiet summer night.
Whether you’re a sailing amateur or a pro, it’s hardly appropriate for me to give you any other advice other than to choose carefully the company you bring. Because beside all this, you can also enjoy the teamwork of the regatta, the sound of lines and sails as you broad or gather them yourself, taming the wind the waves.
Don’t even get me started on how the food and drinks taste when you’re at sea! Not just because you got tired sailing the boat yourself, but because your senses sharpen from the fresh smell of the sea; the food you eat and the wine you drink will be the sweetest you ever tasted! And all these pleasures will cost you no more than your average hotel or apartment stay, guaranteed.
All those things that I depraved myself of before, the sea redeemed, and quite generously too. It swept me from the shore and took me in, but first, to be sure I was safe, it brought me my very own captain, for life.
And so, I’m figuring it out, and I’m not complaining.
Have you heard about the wave therapy? Sea wave, that is? Recommended dosage: at least once a year, seven days, twenty-four hours a day. For more, consult your sea or your captain.
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Terapija talasima
JOVANA PETKOVIĆ ⌂ 8. FEBRUAR 2018.
fotografija: Jovana Petković
Nakon trideset godina života na obali mora, moram priznati da ga nisam najbolje iskoristila, iako se mnogo volimo. (Mislila sam na more, mada mi je i život često izmicao...) Ovo nije trebalo da znači da inače obavezno iskorištavam one koje volim i koji me vole, iliti živim ljubav iz interesa, nego da stvari stoje ovako: ja, rođena tivćanka, na plažu idem uredno, kao da me dežurni doktor prati i opominje – ujutro do 10, najkasnije 11:00, i/ili popodne od 16:30; mrzim plastične, drvene i ostale ležaljke uz koje idu suncobran i koktel za pun pansion, i obožavam kad mi se poslije dugog ležanja na suncu po tijelu ocrtaju kamenčići; plivam SAMO na dva načina – prsno i leđno; ne vozim daske, skije, skutere, banane; ne idem na dnevne plažne žurke, idu mi na živce; ne volim maslinovo ulje, ni da mažem po tijelu ni da unosim u isto; jedem samo određenu ribu i ne volim morske plodove. Ali more voli mene i ne pušta me da živim dalje od obale, iako sam probala i prijetila mu da se neću vraćati, osim za praznike i godišnji odmor. A ja mu poznajem sve boje, mirise i raspoloženja, znam kad duva koji vjetar i kad se sprema kiša, i volim svaki kamen i talas mog lijepog zaliva. I ne znam da jedrim.
Ipak, more je odlučilo da se još bolje upoznamo, pa me spojilo sa čovjekom, jedriličarem i pomorcem, iz jedriličarske porodice ( više o njima ovdje: http://www.charter-montenegro.me/contact-about/about-us1-charter-montenegro-herceg-novi ), sa jedriličarskim navikama, obavezama i načinom života, i reklo – snađi se! I sad ću ja da vam objasnim zašto odmor trebate provesti na jedrenju.
I dalje ne znam da jedrim, ali kao da je to bitno, snalazim se. I obožavam! Ne propuštam izlazak jedrilicom na more. Ako je trening, idem da podržavam. Ako je regata, brojim se za člana posade, ali idem da navijam, bodrim i eventualno dodajem manicu za vinč ako mi je u blizini. Ako je uživanje, idem da uživam najviše! Ali u svim prilikama idem kao fotograf, pa čak i ako sam ponekad na smetnji na brodu, na kopnu me svi traže jer su kod mene dokazi ko se kako proveo, crno na bijelo ili u boji. Mene naravno nema na tim fotografijama, ali meni takvi dokazi ne trebaju jer ono što vidim i osjećam ne bi ni stalo na taj medij.
Dakle, zašto biste trebali odmor provesti na jedrenju, čak i ako ne znate jedriti? Pa tek tada ima da uživate kao car! Zato što će vas voziti i o vama voditi računa onaj ko zna, a vi nećete brinuti je li vjetar povoljan, imate li dovoljno goriva, vode, jesu li bokobrani i putnici na broju, jer je on profesionalni skiper. Probudite se ujutro u savršenom miru, u idealnom skladu dvije nijanse plave boje, skuvate kafu po svojoj mjeri i planirate dan. Ili ne planirate, jednostavno prepustite skiperu. Zaronite u kristalno čistu morsku vodu, daleko od prekrcanih plaža, vike, preglasne muzike. Vi ste u stanu na vodi i baš vas briga koliko je sati, da li je sunce prejako (i da li vas opominje doktor); ne trebaju vam ležaljke, ni peškir (ponekad čak ni kupaći); plivate kad hoćete, koliko hoćete i kako hoćete; nema monotonije, birate mjesto i lako promijenite pravac jer vam se može; na plažne žurke svratite samo ako vam se baš ide, ili se samo usidrite blizu ako hoćete da vam zavide, jer realno zavide vam u tom all inclusive luksuzu slobode na vodi; birate da li ćete prespavati uljuljkani, usidreni u nekoj skrovitoj mirnoj uvali, ili na vezu u marini nekog grada i otići u noćni život, ili privezani za pontu malog, primorskog sela i uživati u tihoj ljetnjoj noći.
Ako ste amater ili profesionalac u jedrenju, sramota bi bilo da vam dajem bilo kakve preporuke, osim da dobro birate društvo koje ćete povesti sa sobom. Jer, osim u svemu ovome, možete uživati u regatama, zvuku konopa i jedara dok ih sami širite i skupljate i krotite vjetar i talase.
Da ne pominjem koliko je ukus hrane i pića ljepši kad ste na sred mora. Ne samo zbog toga što ste gladniji, nego se čula toliko izoštre, da vam miris hrane i ukus vina ni u najboljem restoranu neće biti slađi! I za sve ove gušte potrošićete ne više novca nego što biste potrošili na odmor u apartmanskom ili hotelskom smještaju, provjereno.
Ono što sam zapravo uskraćivala sama sebi, more mi je nadoknadilo i to vrlo velikodušno. Povuklo me sa obale sebi, ali prvo, da bude sigurno da sam dobro, dovelo mi ličnog kapetana, za cijeli život.
I tako, snalazim se, ne žalim se.
Čuli ste za terapiju talasima? Mislim, morskim? Preporučena doza: minimum jedan puta godišnje, puta sedam dana, puta dvadeset četiri časa. Za sve preko toga, konsultovati se sa morem ili kapetanom.
