Supported by the Sea

Using a simple sail, man can escape from the confines of life.  At least that is true in the case of E.B. White, author of “The Sea and the Wind That Blows”. In this passage, White states that men who ache from the tiredness and compactness of their lives can find solace in the form of a sailboat. In his younger years, White did not sail just for tranquility; the sea was his unspoken challenge which he spent his entire life trying to conquer. 

On and off land, White’s mind was constantly with the sea and the sail that pulled him along. White obsessed over sailing, even before he had experienced it. There had become a point where he began to question his health. Still, White continues to ponder his relationship with the great expanse of water. How is it that a young child repelled by the sea, could later become so attracted to it?  Despite his first sea adventure, which was anything but pleasurable, White returned to the sea out of necessity. He needed the sea to support his boat; and overtime, the revolting memories of the sea were washed away. 

White identifies the sea as his unspoken challenge. Fear of the unforgiving waters is what aids this challenge. The moment wind catches the sail; the sailor is subject to the whims of the sea. All the elements of the sea play a role; the wind, the fog, the tide, and even the seagull’s warning call. White never knew what his voyage had in store, especially with the weather. He stated, “I still feel a memorial chill on casting off” (White 612). This fear and unknowingness was a thrill he subconsciously longed to master. With the aid of a sailboat, the sea can be conquered.

White’s sailing techniques played into this challenge almost as much as the elements of the sea did. As fascinated as White was with boats, he knew very little about them. Regardless of the knowledge, he still sailed and improvised along the way. Not entirely knowing what to do was part of the thrill. White would always get into trouble out at sea and would always go back looking for more. 

Growing in age, White’s feelings towards sailing have become increasingly less passionate. He no longer strives for the unspoken challenge. The wind, once his friend, has now become something of detest. White states, “A great question in my mind is whether a man who is against wind should longer try to sail a boat” (White 612). Being constantly at sail, whether in dream state or on the water, eventually took its toll on White. Battling with the wind wore him down and caused the sport to lose some of its appeal. Sailing started off as a desire, but now White says, “I have noticed that my sailing has increasingly become a compulsive activity rather than a source of pleasure” (White 612). This is a familiar scenario most can relate to; when a beloved pastime becomes routine. The activity can be something like eating your favorite food for lunch every day. Let a week pass, and soon this food is not as delectable as it once was.

So is it only the wind that has created a nuisance for the sailor? White contemplates the force that keeps him afloat is from his youth. Nostalgically, White notes, “The old yearning is still in me, belonging to the past, to youth, and so I am torn between past and present, a common disease of later life” (White 612). White is at a battle with age. He is over-sailed, but keeps going back because being on that boat seems to tie his life together. If White takes down the sail, does that mean he lets age win? No one wants to see themselves growing older. Time is scary, especially when it forces you to leave things behind. Even if White gives up sailing, he knows a boat will always be there – waiting to go on another voyage. 

E.B. White is not just giving up sailing; he is moving on from his youth and accepting age. The title of this passage, “The Sea and the Wind That Blows” is a perfect reflection of that. The sea and the wind cannot be controlled. Just like time, they keep moving and show no signs of stopping. With both elements, sailing is possible. On a boat, you are at the mercy of the unknown in a place White describes as, “Suspended by the bottom of the sea and the top of the sky” (White 611). As sure as the wind will blow, sailing will always be there for White.