20091021 -- Tightening Ties Small Quarters and Sailing Give a Chance to Bond (3)

Bonding under stress

Those new family ties became stronger after the Bachs began testing themselves under sail in November 2007. Though their learning curve proved steeper than imagined, Craig says, they've become increasingly adept at handling the ketch in open water, where they've successfully weathered squalls of 40 to 60 knots. They've also learned to watch out for each other whenever they explore a new port.

Other changes have taken place,too, as the family of six has adapted to living together in such tight, often inescapable quarters. In most cases, the kids have learned to give and take, and small annoyances have disappeared.

Equally dispensable is the lust for stuff that governed so much of the life they left. Pared down to a few square feet of living space, each of the Bachs has had to radically readjust their ideas about what they have to have. The impulse to simplify became even stronger after the family visited a struggling orphanage school in Haiti. The need for basic items convinced them to adopt the charitable venture as a fundraising mission.

Even without the influence of their visit to Haiti, however, the unalterable lack of space aboard the boat has changed their attitudes for good.




learning curve n. 學習曲線
eg: Because she had no experience, Sally had a sleep learning curve when she started teaching.

inescapable (adj) 逃不掉的/不可避免的
eg: The consequence of robbing the jewelry store was inescapable, Sam spent three years in jail.

//== Chat Room ==//

give in

give and take 互相讓步

give or take 差不多/相差不到多少

eg: $25.00 give or take a couple of dollars
=>差不多$25，最多不到$2誤差

give up 放棄

Don't give up on English.

take you for

take someone for 把某人誤認為...

//== More INFO ==//

20 ears ago, Craig Bach was a workaholic. In one seven-year stretch, Craig worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week, month after month - all in an effort to reach his dream of being a success. Then, one morning, Craig work up and realized he had four children and a wife he hardly knew. From that moment on, Craig decided true success would come through making his family his number one priority.