At Sea

In the whole wide world, there is no other place I’d rather be,

than on my Catamaran in the middle of the deep blue sea

Now that I’ve run my race and earned my bread (and butter)

Not for me, the city life with its hustle and bustle (and clutter)

You think I’m bored … you haven’t sailed before, 'tis I can tell

The sea and the wind are constantly changing, causing pell-mell 

I’m an old swab who knows the currents and the fish they bring

Hoisting sails and dousing them, all day if need be, is my thing

Watching meteorites streaking across the Milky Way gets me trippin’

When bottlenosed dolphins come a'frolicking, it’s my time to go a'dipping

So don’t pity me, it was I who chose to live foot loose and fancy free

Far from the madding crowd, doing my thing, just being good ole me

Footnotes:  

1] The pop hit, 'Cool Change' by the 70s/80s Australian rock/pop group, 'Little River Band', captures this feeling very well

Lyrics of 'Cool Change' by the Little River Band 

If there's one thing in my life that's missing
It's the time that I spend alone
Sailing on the cool and bright clear water

Well, I was born in the sign of water
And it's there that I feel my best
The albatross and the whales, they are my brothers

It's kind of a special feeling
When you're out on the sea alone
Staring at the full moon like a lover

Time for a cool change
I know that it's time for a cool change
Now that my life is so prearranged
I know that it's time for a cool change

To hear the song, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ggm2bBDI9p0

2] In 1965, while most sixteen-year-olds were busy with school or teenage dreams, a boy named Robin Lee Graham was preparing for an adventure like no other. 

Armed with little more than a dream and at age 16 in a 24‑ft Lapworth‑designed sloop named Dove, he set sail from Long Beach, California, determined to circle the globe alone. Many mocked him, predicting he’d return within a week, if he returned at all. But Robin wasn’t ordinary. He longed for open horizons, the whisper of the sea, and a chance to discover the world on his own terms.

Over the next five years, Robin would sail more than 33,000 nautical miles across vast and unpredictable oceans. He battled ferocious storms, including one near Durban, South Africa, where winds topped 140 mph and towering waves threatened to swallow his fragile boat. He faced isolation deeper than any ocean trench, surviving days without human contact, limited food, and only the stars and his determination to guide him. Yet through each challenge—whether physical, emotional, or spiritual—he pressed on, recording his journey in vivid detail in personal journals.

Robin’s voyage captured the imagination of millions, especially as National Geographic began publishing updates about his solo odyssey. By the time he returned in 1970, just 21 years old, he had become a global symbol of resilience and youthful daring. His memoir, *Dove*, and the film adaptation of the same name, immortalised his journey—not just as a sailing feat, but as a testament to what can happen when one young person dares to chase a dream, no matter how wild it seems.