The tough questions
I get some great questions and some really funny ones from those who have never sailed. In the funny category is:
Who’s going with you? It’s solo. No one goes with me.
What do you do at night? I pay attention and sleep no more than half an hour at a time. It is safer to sleep during the day.
Will you go into a port? No, it is non-stop.
_Will you be re-supplied? _No, it is non-assisted, so I take everything with me.
I have even been asked if I will anchor at night! To which I respond that I am in a race and the ocean floor is more than a mile down. I don’t carry that much chain!
In the more interesting category are questions such as:
Are you afraid? My response is that some fear is healthy as it alerts the senses, but I also have courage gained from experience in how to sail, how to handle the boat, and the trust I have in it and myself. This greatly reduces any fear, which if unchecked, would make me useless. That’s why I have been taking all kinds of lessons in electronics, electrics, hydraulics and most recently sail repair.
Then the most pointed question of all:
Are you afraid you will die on this voyage? Few ask that question, but it’s on the minds of many. My response is that there is a 3% to 5% chance of death, but I am 76 and there is about an 8% chance I shall die in the next six months anyhow!!!
