Inspired by one of my best friends, Katie Bush, I brought my aerial silks and hardware along for the ride to rig on board the Fille de Joie. Prior to the voyage, Katie told me that she and her love Dan simply hoisted the apparatus from the jib halyard. Since the Fille has a furler for the head sail, I was curious how we would adapt our rig. Fortunately I'd forgotten that we have a spare halyard to fly an asymmetrical sail (this one's a Gennaker- a modern take on the classic gollywhomper) for down wind cruising.

Luck was on my side as I realized we had the perfect set up just waiting for me to take advantage of it. I used the spare halyard for lift and a spare line ran through the bowsprit, to hoist the fabrics and hardware while keeping it suspended out and over the trampoline. Oh what a rush, climbing the silks with the sway of the boat! The views are spectacular and it's amazing to be able to practice an art I love so much in such remote places.

There are, however, a few draw backs to aerial fabrics on a sail boat. First and foremost, we long for good wind, both at sea and at anchor. At anchor a nice breeze cools the boat off and keeps the bugs away. Unfortunately it's nearly impossible to control the fabrics with strong winds. I've therefore found my practicing days few and far between, and have realized that I'll have to start taking lira lessons A.S.A.P. (suspended aerial hoop). It's a lesson I should have learned from our rig at Burning Man the last few years, but as Clavo and I dream more and more to live on our own boat, it's now become a priority. Oh well, though the days on the silks at sea are rare, I'll take the good winds any day and just enjoy every moment I get.