In that moment it dawned on me that everything has to line up perfectly for something to turn out this awful.

The winds were blowing from west to east, pushing Abby's boat toward the rocks as Abby struggled with the autopilots below. If Wild Eyes reached those islands, she wouldn't run aground, keel in the sand. She would be smashed into pieces.

The things that happen on the sea take you beyond yourself, beyond human capability.

The terrifying physics of going up-mast in heavy seas are inescapable.

One day that same year, I told my dad that someday, I would sail around the world alone.

I was so thankful that my parents trusted me enough and had enough faith in my abilities to let me follow my passion and try to do something great, even if I might fail.

If a big wave came at the wrong moment, it would sweep me off into forty-eight-degree water, where I might last twenty minutes. Drowning quickly might be better.