Khelios - Khelios, day 5, time to figure it out

Imagine you are living in a 45 sqm space where you cannot go out for the next 15 days. Same view all day long. Constant noise. No possibility to go out shopping - if you forgot your favorite candy bar, too bad for you ! You have to live with 5 other persons you enjoy being with, but maybe not 24/7. If you are going out of this space, definitely you put not only yourself at risk but also all the other folks as well. Netflix is down and internet is working too poorly to even find the word “work” relevant. But anyway you will have to wake up every 4h to ensure your safety.
Some call it heaven, some call it hell. Some call it freedom, some think it is the exact opposite of it. Some dream for it while some can’t wait for it to end. Some call it a sailing boat, some call it lockdown.
I believe in these unprecedented times of COVID 19, our relation to sailing boats as compared to lockdowns all over the world is quite strange. I have always found it paradoxical that the sheer instrument of freedom - a boat - implies so many constraints for those who sail them : constant vigilance, night shifts, power monitoring, reduced space... How come ? Is there anything that makes the whole difference ? If so, what is it ?
- Is it the ability to go wherever you want ? Oceans cover 60% of the earth so definitely sailing boats grant you access to an immense area. No roads, no tolls. Absolute freedom. But when you think about it, you are heavily dependent on weather and sea conditions, not to mention other dangers such as pirates. I doubt it is the only factor.
- Is it the beauty of landscapes and wilderness of the sea ? Clearly some remote areas are accessible only by boats. Clearly nothing compares to the monotony and though ever-changing aspects of the sea. But let’s face it : you could argue exactly the same with deserts, frozen continents, jungles, mountains...
- Is it the feeling of being alone, away from civilisation and its constraints? At sea, forget about your boss, your annoying neighbor, or that unpleasant waiter at the cafe (yes you guessed it - I am French). After all, Jean-Paul Sartre named it : “L’enfer, c est les autres”. But if so, how would you explain the incredible and unforgettable links that bound all sailing crews altogether? Crossing an ocean with folks 24/7 is one of the highest social challenges ever!
- Are all sailors mad then? You must be crazy to put yourself at risk in such an environment. Maybe sailing is a mad men’s dream and addiction? But when looking at it, few people are as reasonable, prepared, cautious and logical as sailors. Definitely not that.
We are only midway from crossing the Atlantic Ocean on ARC and I do not have the answer to my question, the key to this paradox. What is nice is that I have time to keep figuring it out. But maybe there is no answer. Maybe it is a mystery and this is precisely what makes it fascinating.
I’d be curious to hear about everyone’s view on this, at sea or still feet on the ground. What do you think ?

Gregory, from Khelios