Hello!
Hello!
banozac
I think it's cute that thing humans do when they see a boat pass and the people on the boat wave at them and they wave back. For absolutely no reason. They don't know each other they're not trying to communicate anything other than "LOOK! I am on a boat!!! Hello!!!!" "I see you!!!! On the boat!!!! Hello!!!!!!!!!!!!" in a genuine moment of wholesome human connection and excitement.
a lot of old maritime tradition / custom seems very quaint and very fascinating, there's sort of an uncanny valley of weirdness, almost. i guess because if you're out at sea that long, your mind knows it shouldn't quite be possible, seeing another person feels like a relief
similarly i was reading this old book called Sailing Alone Around the World and the dude waves and says good evening to the moon at night
The fog lifting before night, I was afforded a look at the sun just as it was touching the sea. I watched it go down and out of sight. Then I turned my face eastward, and there, apparently at the very end of the bowsprit, was the smiling full moon rising out of the sea. Neptune himself coming over the bows could not have startled me more. "Good evening, sir," I cried; "I'm glad to see you." Many a long talk since then I have had with the man in the moon; he had my confidence on the voyage.
Hey moon, if I was to fall
I won't fall so deep
Though I doubt I'm gonna
You can wake me up if you wanna
I would hate for you to hang there all alone
The whole night through
I'm a school bus driver and we always wave to each other - for no particularly good reason, just like boat occupants. I tell my kids that it's actually required by law and you can be fired for not waving to other drivers. Hell, for all I know that's actually true.
The public bus drivers in my city do this too :)
I'm on a boat. I'm on a boat. Everybody look at me, 'cause I'm sailing on a boat
One thing about being on a boat is the reality that even close to shore an accident on a boat becomes a life emergency real quick.
Acknowledgement at sea is a part of that reality.
See also: Historical Locomotives
Humans on boats are the same as dogs in cars.
Similar thing happens if you drive a vintage kombi. Everyone waves, especially kids.
I got this driving a rental RV around South NZ where like half the traffic population is rental RVs.
Eventually it was more fun imagining their thought process is just like that of an excited dog...
"Hey! Oh my god, hey! We're both in rental RVs! Hey! Hey! Hey! Aw, he didn't wave back. That's fine, that was so neat...............Oh, hey! Hey! Another rental RV like me! Hey! Oh my god they waved! Sweeeeeet! What a swell holiday!"
I say hello and wave to everyone everywhere. (No, not literally, I'm not a psychopath)
Driving early morning, only other dude on the road? "Sup?" Same car and color? "Sup?" Train, boat, double decker tour bus, tourists in weird tourist death trap go-kart rental on the street? "Sup?"
I'm on a boat: https://youtu.be/avaSdC0QOUM?si=v59AnN9abhsbLcFr