Safety At Sea and the Fears

We love the ocean. Having grown up near the pacific, nearly every weekend was spent playing in the cold Northern California waters ... being pulled by the tides, and pulled out by the rips. Spending time, measured in days, under the water as a SCUBA diver, the strength of the ocean and its scuttling ability cannot be denied as currents push you through wrecks of lost ships. Working aboard boats as a boat hand and a DiveMaster, when the weather turns fowl and you have to comfort the guests and passengers, one cannot help but be in awe of the waves and wind that toss 40 foot boats around like toys. The ocean is one hell of a scary place if viewed from a vantage point of fear. There are times that thoughts cross my mind regarding being stuck in a horrific storm and being demasted. What would I do? How would I safe guard my little girls?

These thoughts can become paralyzing. When they do flow, I have to remind myself about why we are doing this trip, which is to experience the world. I have to remind myself that the ocean isn't to be feared, but rather be respected. I have to remind myself that there is equal chance, or maybe even more, of danger in the life I'm living today (while the ocean can snatch ones life with the passing of one rogue wave, so can ones life be snatched when driving down the highway and one person looks down to type a text message). I have to remind myself that there is a lot of safety in traveling with no timetable. Passages can be made when the weather and the ocean look favorable for journeying. I have to remind myself that we will be active in using life preservation aids like safety lines while on deck. I have to remind myself that millions of others have crossed the oceans safely before us, and millions will after us. I have to remember to serve as an example to my children, to be bold in life but not stupid in life.

I have to remember that we love the ocean and that there is a real chance of something bad happening, but that the odds can be lowered. This is real, but we are real too.