[Gerald]

The moment that you first lose sight of land and are alone with your boat, surrounded by nothing but sea and sky, is a powerful experience for any sailor and one that cannot be truly described until it is experienced. As anyone who has reached that moment will tell you, it is not something to be undertaken lightly, even if you are only traveling port to port. Any sailing excursion requires planning and attention to safety, but ocean sailing requires a great deal more thought and preparation. You have to take what you need from land with you, plan for the unexpected, and be prepared for all sorts of setbacks.