Sailing around Australia; Brave, Foolhardy or Adventurer

Cronulla Marina, Port Hacking, Sydney NSW

6/5/2015 Brave, Foolhardy or Adventurer??

Is it bravery or foolhardiness or adventurers that see one throw off the shackles of life like a career, house and loved ones, to head out into the wide blue yonder.

Our sailing around Australia adventures have brought us to Sydney, where I have taken the opportunity and time to catch up with some relations.

One comment often repeated by people we talk to, was that Leanne and I must be brave because there is no way they could sail around Australia.

We have been sailing around Australia on Easy Tiger for about 18 months. In that time we have travelled a smidgeon under 3000 nautical miles. To a sailor this is a pittance and would probably place us in the inexperienced category.

However, to a non-sailor, we are brave. Are we? The meaning of brave according to the dictionary is “possessing or exhibiting courage or courageous endurance”.

Courage is "the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear".

So if I am brave, I possess or exhibit the quality of mind or spirit to face difficulty, danger, pain etc… without fear.

In the sailing around Australia context, I feel the only examples of difficulty we have faced were the planning and preparation to go; the logistics and prepping of Easy Tiger; putting in place a business plan for our business; getting our house rented out and sorting our possessions into keepers, sellers and chuckers.

While sailing we have experienced difficulty. Slamming into head on winds against following swell is in anyone’s book difficult to endure. But does that make me brave?

The danger I consider we have faced in taking off was our financial position. Resigning a well paid job, letting our house at under market value, copping a loss on the value of our boat and foregoing profits generated by our business seemed brave at the time but could yet prove foolhardy in the future.

After 500 days into our adventure, we have only had a moment or two of danger, such as being towed 17nm by the Streaky Bay SES in the middle of the night during a storm.

Also, there was pain. Leaving behind loved family who are not getting any younger and relationships with valued friends, are not carefree or easy decisions.

On our sailing adventure, the only pain I have really seen have been self-inflicted headaches.

BUT, having done all this, (even though it was not without fear), makes me no braver than say, someone being transferred interstate with their job.

The brave stuff I suppose for non-sailors comes from the fact that you are out in the ocean floating along at the behest of the weather. That, to many would seem foolhardy.

So are we foolhardy?

The dictionary says foolhardy means "to be recklessly or thoughtlessly bold; foolishly rash or venturesome"; we don’t fit that title either.

If reckless is being unconcerned about the consequences of some action; without caution, it cannot be true of us. We are always concerned about the action we are taking on board Easy Tiger. For example we use our checklists for departure, always log on to marine rescue plus contact someone at our destination so that they expect us and we maintain our rules as to whether we go or stay, to offset the consequences of our actions in sailing from one point to another.

There is no way we are thoughtlessly bold or foolishly rash for the same reasons that we are not reckless.

But, if venturesome is having or showing a disposition to undertake risky or dangerous activities; daring, we may be venturesome. Even though I would consider towing a caravan along the great northern highway equally venturesome, given the inherent and equal risks of traffic, fatigue and remoteness.

So to some we are brave, to some we are foolhardy. To me, the title of adventurer seems to sit well, because we are “having and enjoying an exciting or very unusual experience, which could be hazardous and has an uncertain ending”. Plus, as adventurers we are “seeking adventures”, as long as they don’t involve the need for too much bravery and are thoughtfully considered and planned from the outset.