Whenever someone asks about the Six at Sea plans or I mention them to people I am always unsure of what their response will be. Some have replied with a simple “Cool” or “That would be so much fun.” On the other end of the spectrum I’ve received indifference to concern for our safety. It’s the folks that are in that last category that is post is aimed at.
I’m confident that you other cruisers and cruising families have heard the one, “What about pirates, aren’t you afraid of pirates?” Out of all the responses this one really cracks me up. I am amazed that such a large portion of the American general public seem to think that just because there has been recent pirate activity in the western Indian ocean and off of the coast of Somalia that the seas and oceans of the earth are now all pirate infested waters. For those of you who think that way, realize this: you have a greater chance of being in a car wreck and suffering serious injury on your way to your local mega-mart or getting car jacked sitting a stoplight than myself or my family has of encountering pirates while sailing the seas of the world. “You’re comparing apples to oranges!” you say. Well, perhaps I am. It’s like this, you, while driving to the mega-mart don’t have the choice to stay out of a wreck. You have zero control of the situation if it were to occur. Us on the other hand have at least some control of the situation. By control I mean we have the ability to determine when (for the most part, weather permitting) and where we go. We don’t have to sail in waters known to have pirate activity. It’s really that simple. So, if you knew you could avoid having a wreck or knew where that carjacker was going to be, would you choose another route?
The other response that cracks me up is “What if you shipwreck?” or “What if you sink?”. Well, first off…let’s just say that if you are aware of your location, pay attention to your environment and don’t go places that put you, your family or your vessel in danger the first one is simple. It’s when you become complacent or fatigued you start making bad decisions. These decisions can lead to a bad situation. If you do what is needed to prevent yourself from becoming complacent, get plenty of rest and pay attention to your surroundings you have more control over what is going on. The “What if you sink?” part is born from fear of the unknown. First off, no vessel is 100% unsinkable. There are too many variables that come into play regarding buoyancy, reserve buoyancy, etc., etc., etc. If you are really interested in the “unsinkability” of catamarans or what I like to refer to as the “sink resistance” then have a read of Chris White’s “The Cruising Multihull”. You can even get a copy here. Anyway, the main variable that comes into play in regards to sinking on the open ocean has to do with weather. Again, this one is simple. If you plan accordingly and choose an appropriate weather window for your passages and do not put your vessel at risk by sailing into bad weather you will be fine. For most cruisers out there the sailing constitutes in most cases only 10% or less of the time out there. The rest is spent on the hook, on a mooring ball or in a marina.
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