What a Captain Learns to Read
The Winds of the Sea of Galilee
Some people look at the winds of the Sea of Galilee and see nothing more than a breeze over calm, quiet water. After years on the deck, I learned to look at it a little differently.
The Sea of Galilee is never truly still. Even when the water looks smooth like glass, the wind is always there. Sometimes it is barely noticeable, and sometimes it arrives suddenly, changing the surface of the lake in a short time.
As a captain, one of the most important things I learned was to pay attention to the wind and to the small signs that come before a change.
Before the waves begin to rise, you can sometimes see the change on the surface of the water. Areas that were smooth moments before begin to fill with small ripples. The air changes. The wind grows stronger, and the Sea of Galilee begins to look completely different.
Someone who does not know the lake might think it is simply a matter of wind.
But anyone who has spent time on a boat knows that the wind must be respected.
The wind affects the direction of the boat, the waves, and the way the boat moves across the water. That is why knowing the weather conditions before setting out is an important part of every journey.
One of the remarkable things about the Sea of Galilee is the way the surrounding mountains influence the movement of the air.
The lake lies deep in the Jordan Valley, surrounded by mountains and hills. Because of this geography, air moving through the valley can affect the lake quite quickly. This is one reason the weather can change so fast. A calm morning can become windy, and the water can begin to move before you have much time to react.
Winds can come from different directions and create changing conditions across the lake. Sometimes the water around you looks calm, while not far away the surface is already becoming rougher. That is one of the reasons the Sea of Galilee can surprise you.
In the morning, it can welcome you with peaceful water, soft light, and mountains reflected on the surface. Later in the day, the picture can change, and the wind can transform the very same place.
Perhaps that is one reason the famous biblical story of Jesus and His disciples caught in a storm on the lake has remained so powerful.
When you are actually on a boat on the Sea of Galilee and feel the wind becoming stronger and the waves beginning to rise, the story feels a little different. You begin to understand why, for people who lived and worked on these waters, a storm on the lake was not something to take lightly.
The Sea of Galilee may be relatively small, but it can be powerful. After all those years on the water, I’ve come to appreciate the special connection between a person, a boat, and nature. Because in the end, you cannot control the wind. You can only learn to read it.
Inspired by the stories of Jesus and the Sea of Galilee, our handmade pieces are available in our shop.
Want to see where these stories took place? Explore our interactive map of the Sea of Galilee and discover the ancient towns, biblical sites, and places connected to the stories of Jesus.
A Wonderful Story