Wow Gimwinkle, I simply can't say enough how much I enjoyed your eloquent and thought provoking post! I'm not from or live anywhere near the sea but have often wondered how amazing it would be to sail on the big blue seas; have watched many vids on youtube about it in fact. The dream of heading off to exotic destinations, and the uncertainty of whether you'll make it safe and sound just seem exhilarating to me. Thank you for sharing my friend!