Saturday 16th August – A Verily Pirate Adventure – Chapter 2

A Verily Pirate Adventure – Chapter 2

Arrrrr……. What drives ye Pirates I hear ye ask? Why? I hear ye say…..

These secrets be kept by ye swimmers. All ye Pirate can tell ye is that it comes from within. For some it be starting as a bet. For some it be starting as a dare. For some it be a mission. For most there is always a cause. Something that be precious and special in ye swimmer’s heart. Ye not be knowing why or where ye dream be coming from but let me take ye on a little journey on what it be like to be part of a merry crew who embarked on a marvellous and exciting journey that be ye English Channel.

For ye Pirate’s Channel journey it started a few years ago. Ye Pirate be finding a crew of likeminded nutbags who be swimming in openwater for ye hell of it. Ye Pirate be sick of ye pools and be facing his shark fear bought on by seeing Jaws as a 9yr old Pirate many years before. He be seeing it when it be first released in ye Cinema’s.

That be giving ye an idea of how many eons it be and still not be recovered from. ‘Nuff about ye Pirates phobia, more about ye merry crew of idiosyncratic lasses and lads that became the Frosty Nuts. On one morning in Manly I be sitting with ye crew having coffee when one of me fellow Frosty Nuts, Shed, be telling about his English Channel swim. He be worrying a bit about his crew and their lack of swimming experience. Ye Pirate be saying “I’ll come!”. Now ye Shed be thinking that the Pirate be a tad odd, strange even. Tad is what can only be aptly termed as inadequate but ye Shed be very prim, proper and correct and by god he be keeping his stiff upper lip stiff! Hmmm ye Shed ponders…. Can ye Pirate be serious? Shed be thinking “I not be knowing ye Pirate? He be quite mad and extraordinarily annoying! Does ye Pirate ever shut up (but more of that further in ye tale)? By god he be extremely annoying?”. Luckily for ye Pirate, Shed be having marvellous manners and not be letting it slip his thoughts……. till much later…. And so ye Pirates journey began.

I cannot be tellin’ ye what it be like to swim “the Ditch”. I can only be telling ye that the water be cold. Ye must embrace the cold, nay, love the cold. Ye must be putting ye mind in someplace safe. Ye must be finding a place for ye thoughts. A place of transcendence… Nay, ye be saying but nay I be saying. This be the place of solitude. It be ye place in ye mind where ye be able to put thoughts separate to ye body and yet ye body still functioning, nay, performing. Ye water be 12-17 degrees C. To embrace the cold ye must swim in cold water, a lot.

In eons past many English Channel aspirants be doing this training on ye own. Lonely, lonely miles (it be from ye Olde Dart so it be miles we be thinkin!). Nay, say the Frosty Nuts. Nay, ye shall swim with friends, a crew as it were. Ye shall have Squirrels, for who else looks after their Nuts in winter! We shall be there as much as we can for we have an ANZAC tradition.

Many may ask why ye Australians be doin’ so well at this swim. For fellow Australians it be simply our belief and our mates. Thar be no silly catch cry we be hearing at sporting events in ye Pirates Blog!!!!! So, for all of ye Bold & Beautiful swimmers when ye be wondering WTH (what the heck) are those swimmers going out before dawn, to Dee Why and back, to Freshwater and back (2 or 3 times) etc etc etc (thar be many legendary swims ye may never be told about for ye Pirates not be showing off it not be our style… )

Ye may find that ye crew be having a purpose, a goal. To see our friends succeed. To see our friends complete many of the greatest human endeavours but not on their own. Arrrrrr……. I can hear ye favourite Australian iconic singer tunes in ye mind!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuPz8URNiYg

To be continued……………………….

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Statis:

Swimmers:100+ Newbies:2      Temperature: 17.3 degrees C