The Anatomy of "The Friendship"

This is a drawing I made after talking to my BFF / Actual Sister this morning.  As a fellow sailor-lady,  she really gets it when I start talking nautical (I think...).  I relate boat parts / practices to real-life situations a lot, I find it fun even though most of my land lubber friends have no clue what I mean.  The drawing is way too small here, but if you simply click, it will become large enough for you to view the fine details of "The Anatomy of The Friendship Vessel".  Here's a handy legend to help you follow my philosophy of this wonderful concept (moving clockwise from the top left) :

A.) MAST : The mast is the friend that keeps the boat working. They are the center of the vessel and the strongest member of "The Friendship". They hold all the power of wind and lines, control the sails, and ultimately are the strength and durability of the vessel. The one downside is, they get struck by lightning first. 

B.) JIB SAIL : The Jib is secondary to the Main but is still one of the most integral friend's on the boat. They push the vessel when there is little to no wind and have a larger square footage then the Main, making them careful pals of safety. Although you don't always need a Jib, you should always have one. They are easy to control and are adjustable to your needs. The Jib helps you stay on course tightly and in a straight line. 

C.) LIFE LINES : On a seaworthy vessel you must use life lines. Life lines aren't a part of the sailing process, but they are the pals that catch you when you're slipping on the decks. They completely incase The Friendship and ensure you that you will not be victim to a "man-overboard" scenario. Sometimes life lines aren't reliable and can snag and break, which means you really must take care of them, too, or else you could be overboard in an instant!

D.) WING KEEL : The Keel is completely under-rated because you cannot see it while aboard The Friendship. But - you can feel it's power under sail or at bay.  The keel is the heaviest and most stable component of The Friendship, keeping you balanced and weighted even under the biggest squalls and whitecaps. The Keel is the most reliable pal on The Friendship. 

E.) RUDDER : Like the Keel, the Rudder is also underwater. You control the Rudder with the Tiller or Wheel, but it moves in the opposite direction from how you steer.  This pal keeps you going in the right direction and works toward the direction of your chosen course. Without the rudder, The Friendship cannot be managed at all.  The one downside for this pal is: they can be completely impossible to harness in storms and very heavy winds. 

F.) WENCHES : Although Wenches seem like pains in the ass most of the time, they are important in helping the Jib sail on The Friendship. They aren't very reliable under extreme pressure and can lock-up, cause your lines to break, and even cause some of your most able crew to lose fingers or arms if they get caught in a snag. Youch! Treat your wench pals with care, they can harm you faster than a lightning bolt in a storm. 

G.) BOOM : The Boom has it's name for a reason. It is the pal that stabilizes the Main sail, and moves with it. It really has no mind of it's own at all, and stays underneath the Main all of the time. The Boom can be hard to move around, because it is bulky and takes up a lot of headroom when you are trying to stand up tall on The Friendship. The namesake : When weather and wind become unpredictable, Boom can move from starboard to port so fast it may knock you in the head. Here, you would be left semi-unconscious wondering why the hell your Boom would hurt you so much. Or even worse, throw you overboard!

H.) MAIN SAIL : The Main Sail is the primary pal on The Friendship. Reliable, easy to maneuver, and classic, it provides the basic element of power for your vessel. The Main is your comfort, your "main" partner,  your best friend.  The Main is always used for smooth sailing, and can be reefed (made smaller) depending on conditions. The Main is the pal that fits just right, is simple, and the easiest element of The Friendship to get along with. 

There you go, 

Let's go sailing?

xxxooo