Carol Newman Cronin's Blog, page 6

What is Mine to Do?

More than a year ago, I read a blog post on WriterUnboxed that is still haunting me today—in the best way possible. “What is Yours to Do?” asks one of my spotlighted authors, Barbara O’Neal. Though that question can be used to prioritize small things as well as big ones, she quickly turns to writing—because what is Barbara’s to do is to write novels. “You are unique, and your work is unique. In all the world,” she reminds us, adding reinforcement from Madeline L’Engle:  “If you don’t do your work, it might not ever get done.”

Debbie Ohi shared this inspirational graphic in 2017 and I’ve had it pinned above my desk ever since.

Four years ago, I added non-fiction books about boats and their folks to my list of what is mine to do. At the time, I thought 100 Years of Gold Stars would be a momentary distraction from my favorite fictional island. But that project soon led to another; writing a book about a boat called Hound. And with so many great stories lurking just beneath every casual sailing conversation, who knows what rabbit hole I might stumble down next? 

My grandmother described herself as a novelist, and she was the earliest inspiration for my own writing (read more in Live an Interesting Life). But I identify as either “writer” or “author,” because my work has always been about more than “just” fiction. 

What is mine to do? Right now, it feels like sharing other people’s stories is more important than dreaming up my own. But over almost four decades of imaginary surprises, I’ve learned that the best stories stick with us; “hounding” their scribes until we wall off the mind-space to polish them into something both shareable and memorable. 

In a more recent post, Barbara O’Neal writes that Art “needs us, our hands and heart and heads, to focus on bringing our little piece of Art into the world.” And then she makes sure to add that “once we start taking it all too seriously, we lose the thread.”

So instead of worrying about the (delightful) distractions of digging up stories that actually happened, I’m going to accept that it’s all part of my joyous job: creating something that might just move the world—or, better still, inspire just one other writer, more than year later, to ponder for themselves: what is mine to do?

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America’s Cup Racing: The Sailing is the Easy Part

Please excuse any typos or missing words… while I’m writing this post, I’ve got one eye on the shoreline of Barcelona. Thanks to the time change, the video extravaganza that is the 2024 America’s Cup live feed begins just as I sit down to my desk each morning. And as my finger hovers over the tab, an imaginary devil whispers into one ear that “this only happens once every three years.” Simultaneously, an imaginary angel issues a stern reminder into the other ear: morning is my most productive writing time.

Today, I’m listening to the devil.

The actual Cup racing hasn’t started yet, but there’s already been plenty of excitement: the finals to select a challenger (the Brits won, for the first time since I was born), interspersed with the inaugural Youth and Women’s events. Despite the space-age spidery look of the racing craft, it all reminds me of one of my favorite sayings: The Sailing is the Easy Part. Now that they’ve all designed and built right on that hairy edge between winning races and fatal breakdowns, they have to trust their shore team heroes will be able to repair anything they got wrong in time for the next start. 

Speed is all relative, of course; once everyone is pushing 40 knots, it can become surprisingly routine—and the best teams make it look easy. It’s only when an opponent falls off the foils and drops to a measly six knots (basically Katrina’s top speed) that we appreciate how hard they’re all working to maintain that steady ride height. Knowing how close to the edge they are, and how many things can go wrong, is what makes these races both exciting and heart-breaking; in other words, sport at its best.

So, while my eyes jump between the black and white words on this screen and the shiny video of Mediterranean action on the other, I wonder if the actual America’s Cup racing between the Brits and the Kiwis will provide as much excitement as the pre-events. If so, please forgive yet another delay in my next novel delivery… because (as the devil keeps reminding me) this only happens once every three years.

What about you: are you watching live, waiting out the 24 hour delay, or just don’t care enough to tune in at all? Let me know in the comments below, or send me an email; I read every single one, with gratitude.

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Giving Paul Bieker Some Seahorse Love

I love writing profiles; it gives me an excuse to learn more about sailors and industry folks I’ve admired from afar. A few months ago, my husband suggested I interview the Seattle-based Paul Bieker for Seahorse Magazine… and I found myself completely fascinated by our free-range conversation. Judging by the number of compliments I’ve received since the story came out, you will be too.

Bieker designs cover a very wide range in both size and intention; America’s Cup/SailGP, cruising, even powerboats. That made for even more than the usual challenge when it came time to write the headline, so I finally just submitted my first brainstorm: Artfully, Quietly, Radical, figuring the editors would come up with something better. Instead I opened the issue’s table of contents to find a heart-warming compliment: “CAROL CRONIN is surely one of the few people who could sum up eclectic racer, designer, and engineer PAUL BIEKER so well in three words.”

I always enjoy the editors’ selection of photos and captions, though this time I was disappointed (but also completely unsurprised) that there is not a single headshot of Bieker himself. Instead it’s a smorgasbord of boat pictures, including his top three favorites; all technically racer-cruisers. The owners of flat-out raceboats are missing something, he told me, because “they don’t spend any time sailing their boats for fun.”

Seahorse has graciously allowed me to share the PDF with you, but to read the rest of an action-packed issue you’ll have to subscribe. Thanks for supporting the magazine that covers the international racing scene better than any other publication! And let me know if you have an idea for another profile, as I’m always on the hunt for fresh “victims.”

Previous Seahorse Profiles

Betsy Alison: Using All the Tools

Jerry Kirby: All the Stories are True

Peter Harken: What an Amazing Guy

Buddy Melges: He Really Was a Wizard

Toppa Talks: One Job, One (Big) Dream

Circus Minimus: The Rich Life of Bill Mattison

Mark Reynolds: Hard Chines and Unasked Questions

Augie Diaz: Lucky AND Good

Dawn Riley: Setting the Standard

Clicks of Chance: Onne van der Wal

Just Say Yes: Stan and Sally Honey

Rod Davis: Why You Need His Wisdom in 2021

Rod Johnstone: An Amazing Legacy of Yacht Designs

A Final Conversation with Harry Anderson

Life Lessons from Dave Perry

Vince Brun Profile in Seahorse

Only One Jud (Smith)

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Best Birthday Present to Myself: All Girl Cruise

I often remind myself (especially while being passed by a high speed powerboat) that sailors enjoy the Journey, while powerboaters are all about the Destination. This year’s All-Girls’ Cruise proved something even better: it’s the Company that really matters. 

The excuse was a round-numbered birthday for two of us, but I’d actually been wishing to spend more quality time with my “sailing sisters” ever since we first teamed up to race keelboats. I will never forget one savagely cold and windy J/22 regatta, when I wondered aloud whether we could just hang out together rather than go sailing. “Carol,” my jib trimmer told me sternly, “That’s called a vacation.”

This year, I realized that my biggest birthday wish was to spend more time together—outside the framework of a regatta. So I asked my father if we could borrow Katrina for an all-girls’ cruise, he said yes without hesitation, and before he could change his mind we put it on our calendars for the last weekend in August. I looked forward to it all summer, and I also paid a bit more attention to the jobs Dad usually handles during our cruises together.

A few days beforehand, our former foredeck crew had to call for a rain check, which left three of us to make the journey to Katrina’s home port on the southwest corner of Cape Cod. Dad helped us load before waving goodbye, graciously serving as shore crew while we took his pride and joy out for a long weekend’s cruise. 

It was August, and harbors were crowded—but unlike that long-ago regatta, the weather was vacation-perfect. We didn’t win any trophies or set any records for miles sailed or islands visited, but we ate well, laughed a lot, and chatted about a very wide range of topics—everything from life lessons and career goals to the perfect water temperature for swimming. 

Watching my teammates figure out Katrina’s many quirks, I was newly impressed with all the custom details Dad’s added over the past 54 years that make her both easy to sail and comfortable for hanging out. It was the best birthday present of all: sharing this fiberglass member of my family of origin with two of the sailing sisters I “only” met half a lifetime ago. 

Both Journeys and Destinations can be quite satisfying on their own, but it’s definitely the Company that makes or breaks any sailing experience. As we drove home afterward, still laughing and smiling together, I felt so lucky to be able to take this all-girl race crew on a weekend cruise. If this is what they mean by “vacation,” sign me up again for next year.

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Writing My Way into the Waters of Wonder

Even after fifteen years of blogging, I continue to wonder why it feels like the right way to share my thoughts with you, and what my long-term goals should be. My top three conclusions can definitely be applied to all writing—and maybe to other challenges as well.

First, a reminder that the primary goal should “edutainment.” Mark Schaefer (also celebrating a 15th blog-iversary) coined an acronym many years ago: RITE = Relevant, Interesting, Timely, and Entertaining. I try to check off at least three of the four for each Thursday post. 

The secondary goal is far more selfish: I get to stick a toe into the waters of wonder.

Recently I’ve stumbled onto several quotes that all say basically the same thing, though in very different ways: the way to figure out what you really think or feel about something is to write about it. Definitely works for me—and without this wondrous reward, I would’ve long since given up blogging.

The third goal is to build community; a unique place where sailors and writers can co-mingle, sharing ideas and random thoughts. I’m not sure how to judge the success of that, but I keep trying. 

My most popular blogs achieve all three goals, because they provide a safe haven to discuss what the reader (you) thinks about what the writer (me) has produced. And while the most commented-on might be considered the most “successful,” they are also the most “controversial.” Since I don’t have to answer to advertisers (or anyone else), I steadfastly refuse to make drama a driving force.

Looking back, all these posts provide both a roadmap through my sometimes convoluted thought process… and, far more importantly, valuable perspective. When slogging through the saggy middle of each novel, thinking I’ll never finish, past frustrations serve as a reminder: I made it through a very similar stage with the last one. They also make it possible to check off one item every single week. Since it takes me years to write a book and months to see a magazine article in print, it’s very comforting to have a more frequent sense of achievement.

I love the ideas you’ve suggested over the years, so if there’s another topic you want me to consider, please share it in the comments below or send me an email. I read every single one, with gratitude—because conversations are so much more RITE than monologues. Thank you, and I’m so glad you’re here!

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Thank You Letter to a Classic Sailboat

Dear Hound,

Have you ever received a thank you note before? I’ve certainly never written one to a boat rather than to her owner. But it feels right to reach out directly, rather than letting another human pass along my gratitude for a job well done.

I was one of the 16 crew who sailed you around the buoys for the IYRS Classic Yacht Regatta over Labor Day weekend. As a yachting matriarch, you probably consider local day races as slightly beneath your dignity—especially when you’re undoubtedly still reveling in your most recent Bermuda Race victory. But since I only sail inshore events, I really appreciate your willingness to rise to this relatively minor occasion and show off your unique combination of speed and elegance. 

Photo: Patrick Sikes

You were not designed to cross tacks with all-out race boats like 12 Metres, but you definitely made an impression; after sailing, one of their crew exclaimed how fast you were! And even as you chafed at the agonizingly slow pace of Sunday’s harbor parade, your timeless lines turned many heads and earned several cannon salutes. “Go Hound!” admirers cheered from rainy docks, though your crew was less than elegant in a mismatched collection of foulweather gear.

For almost as long as I’ve been alive, you’ve been bringing people together to achieve a common goal. Whether gathering in a spinnaker on your foredeck or gathering on your teak cockpit seats for a cruising sundowner, you inspire and reward the time spent onboard. You’re currently helping to raise a third generation of children; passing along some of your wisdom, while creating lifelong memories. Most yachts of your vintage have long since retired, but you continue to win both hearts and trophies. 

With your help we earned the weekend’s Spirit of Tradition award, a bottle of rum; just a drop in the bucket of what has been both transported and consumed by you and your crews in the past five decades. But for me, the real trophy is this: adding a teensy weensy knot to the lengthy string that is the luscious History of Hound. Thank you for letting me make some memories of my own. 

PS I prefer to think that this is the very first letter you’ve ever received directly; if not, please add the real story to the very long list of secrets you’re keeping to yourself. 

With hopes you will enjoy your rare winter’s nap, I remain

Your not-so-secret admirer and scribe 

Carol

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SAIL Magazine: 3 Stories in 3 Years

When I was a sophomore in college, I was thrilled to see a letter I wrote published in SAIL Magazine. Four decades later, I’ve reached another milestone: 3 bylines in 3 years, thanks to Sailing Lessons from a Small Boat.

It’s been a record-setting year for magazine work, but this story still stands out: a unique opportunity to transform childhood memories into lessons for grownups. Want to learn how to sail your cruising boat better? Hop onboard a smaller vessel, where mistakes can happen without too much damage. And that, I point out, “is maybe the fastest and definitely the most memorable way to learn.”

The piece is nicely illustrated with onboard photos taken by the editor, but there was still room for one gem from my own archives (captured moments before the far less magazine-worthy one I’ve included here). Both bring me right back to the lessons I absorbed before I was old enough to even understand the concept of learning. And you’re forgiven if you thought my Mom was a younger version of me; I’m the wee one in stripes!

Read the full article on SAIL’s website.

Previous Articles

Last year’s Making Your Sailing Crew a Team was a completely different challenge: finding commonalities between three very different examples of our wide-ranging sport. It was great to have my own teammate in editor Wendy Clarke; read more about that article and the creative process here.

In 2022, Wendy invited me to write about the 100th Star Worlds—a surprisingly timeless piece that brings back all the rich history I tried to cram into 100 Years of Gold Stars. (There are still a few books available; to order your copy, drop me an email.)

Clicking through to read these stories on the SAIL website will help this iconic magazine “sail” into its sixth decade, perhaps even inspiring another generation of sophomoric letter writers. If you prefer a PDF, click on the link below. Either way thanks for being here, and let me know which of these three stories you like best!

Read Sailing Lessons from a Small Boat

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Universal Reader Connection: That Could Be Me

One of my earliest book memories is a tiny detail from a story and author now lost to time. The main character was another kid about my age, an aspiring reporter, who learned from a jaded newspaper hack that you can’t write a good story before answering all five W questions (Who, What, When, Where, and Why). I have a visceral image of the character’s tiny brand-new reporter’s note pad, with its carefully scrawled W words. Isn’t it amazing how such details stick with us?

The only logical explanation is this: the book dropped into my young lap right when I realized I wanted to be a writer. Though I never biked around my home town looking for headline-popping stories, that one scene aligned my own budding goals with the character’s. It’s a perfect example of what really matters when telling stories; not the surface details of Who, What, When, and Where, but the underlying and universal WHY. “That could be me” is the most powerful connection we can have with our readers. 

I would love to tell the author how this one scene is still stuck in my memory. I’m sure it would come as a surprise, and maybe a disappointment; why did I remember such a silly detail, rather than the book’s title? (Or even better, the author’s name.) But writers can never know which serendipitous seeds of a story will take root, because readers bring themselves into the books they devour. Only my dream of writing could’ve dug this one detail into my memory banks, so deeply that it’s survived all the other “weeds” that have invaded it in the years since.

Got a surprising image that’s stuck with you from a childhood (or adult) read? Share it in the comments below, or send me an email. I read them all, with gratitude.

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3 Life Lessons from Writing and Wingfoiling

I started writing this blog post a few mornings ago. Which is not at all unusual… until I admit that, at the time, I was also wingfoiling.

As a kid, I was told to get my homework and chores done before going out to play. I’ve carried that approach over to my adult life—if only because morning is my most creative time, and our local seabreeze doesn’t usually kick in until after noon. But the dog days of summer have been disappointingly “doggy” this year… So when we woke up to a rare August northerly, I decided to toss my usual schedule out the window.

The result? More life lessons from playing hooky.

Thanks to Liz Baylis and PaulCroninStudios for capturing one of the summer’s (afternoon) foiling sessions.

When Paul and I first got to our favorite launching spot, we weren’t sure the breeze would be either strong or steady enough. After all, one of my summer mantras is “Never trust a Northerly.” But once we were on the water, conditions were so stable that I was able to completely relax—and to start writing this post in my head. Even while skimming over wave tops and figuring out the best place to jibe, I was stringing together sentences that would convey my joy to all of you. 

Of course mentally typing over and over “What a fabulous way to start the day!” does not a blog post make, so once I was back at my desk, I reached deeper. Even if you’re not interested in wingfoiling, or willing/able to postpone the start of your own work day, perhaps these 3 bigger picture thoughts will help inspire some joy of your own.

1. Life is short; don’t hesitate

In hindsight, we left the beach at the perfect time—but the breeze definitely looked iffy. If we’d waited for ideal conditions, we would’ve missed one of the best sessions of the summer.

2. Enjoy the now

Playing hooky, it’s all too easy to waste time feeling guilty about the work that’s not getting done. But I’ve learned that my best “writing” often takes place away from my desk, even when I’m not actually composing a blog post in my head. I also knew the breeze wouldn’t last long… so I just enjoyed the now: ripping back and forth (top speed 18.8 mph, thanks for asking), jibing on the small waves, using all the skills I’d built up over the past two summers, until the breeze faded and it was time to go to work. 

3. Choose what brings you joy

Skimming over waves while most folks were commuting made me grateful for a life that can sometimes flex to fit the forecast. Sharing the experience with you also brings me joy, so writing while winging made for a truly memorable morning: my very own breakfast of champions.

What brings you joy? How can you fit more of whatever that is into your weekly schedule—maybe even before you finish your homework and chores? Share your thoughts in the comments below, or send me an email. I read every single one, with gratitude. Thanks for being here!

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Betsy Alison: Using All the Tools

The July 2024 issue of Seahorse Magazine includes a profile I’ve wanted to write for a very long time. I first met Betsy Alison in 1990, shortly before I talked my way onto her J/24 for my first-ever Newport Regatta. Since then I’ve sailed with and against her in a variety of boats, including (of course) the Yngling.

Betsy’s most recent international sailing victory was a gold medal at the 2023 Disabled Sailing Worlds, which followed a life victory of learning to walk again. After cancer docs took out half of her pelvis, she had to use all the tools in her personal toolbox; I remain in awe of the way she meets every challenge head-on.

The photo above was taken at the 2003 ISAF Sailing Worlds in Cadiz, and it brings back so many memories; big breeze, huge waves, the glories of international competition. One correction: the Seahorse caption says Betsy’s team won that regatta, but it was actually another US team that did so—a reminder of how deep the US Yngling fleet was in the lead up to the 2004 Olympic Trials.

Seahorse has graciously allowed me to share a PDF with my readers, but to read Dan Houston’s memories of the legendary Don Street you’ll have to subscribe. Thanks for supporting such a great magazine!

Read Using All the Tools

Previous Seahorse Profiles

Jerry Kirby: All the Stories are True

Peter Harken: What an Amazing Guy

Buddy Melges: He Really Was a Wizard

Toppa Talks: One Job, One (Big) Dream

Circus Minimus: The Rich Life of Bill Mattison

Mark Reynolds: Hard Chines and Unasked Questions

Augie Diaz: Lucky AND Good

Dawn Riley: Setting the Standard

Clicks of Chance: Onne van der Wal

Just Say Yes: Stan and Sally Honey

Rod Davis: Why You Need His Wisdom in 2021

Rod Johnstone: An Amazing Legacy of Yacht Designs

A Final Conversation with Harry Anderson

Life Lessons from Dave Perry

Vince Brun Profile in Seahorse

Only One Jud (Smith)

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