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"You'll be bothered from time to time by storms, fog, snow. When you are, think of those who went through it before you, and say to yourself, 'What they can do, I can do.'"

"I live by a couple of rules concerning reefing when on long voyages. The first is that if the thought crosses my mind that I should reef, then I do it without debate. It's a great way for me not to push the boat too hard. The second is my 'cup of tea' rule. Wind, by its very nature, is unpredictable, so if the winds have eased to the point that I could easily sail with one less reef in the mainsail, I wait the time it takes me to make and drink a cup of tea before doing anything. The process normally takes around thirty minutes, so if the winds are still light when I'm done then I will shake out the reef and hoist more sail. More often than not, a gust will have come through that means I need to keep the reef in place to ensure I'm not overpowered in the gusts."

"If you want to sail around the world to say that you've done it, well, don't do it because you have the wrong attitude. If you really, really want to do something because you love the ocean, you want to see the world as it is still now before it is too late, then do it."

"Sail training continues to become more valuable because it is an opportunity to help people unplug from society and experience nature, the environment, and each other in a way that is irreplaceable."

"I rarely remember my dreams ashore but almost always do at sea. Something about sleeping in a washing machine allows better access to the subconscious."

"What did we do all the time on this uneventful passage? Nothing, absolutely nothing, except live in communion with our boat, which was sailing happily towards the Marquesas, the Tuamotus, Tahiti, with plenty of wind, wind, wind. One must have sailed far away from any land to know how full and rewarding a day at sea can be without anything happening. It is so different from coastal sailing where one is always a little apprehensive, tense, prepared for anything. Out there, in the open sea, we were prepared simply to live."

"The tough part is making departures, shedding the shackles of society's expectations, kicking the addiction of electronic connections, subverting the guilt of our own obligations, and pushing off the dock physically and metaphorically."

"The least advertised tragedy is the fear or dislike of sailing that can be instilled in your prospective sailing partners when your lack of skill leads to a few incidents that could have been avoided if you'd spent a little more time practicing sailing skills."

"Cause without the bitter, baby, the sweet ain't as sweet."

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth, a nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present. In this limitless nation, this nation of wind, light, and peace, there is no other ruler besides the sea."

"The more you know, the less you need."

"To be truly challenging, a voyage, like a life, must rest on a firm foundation of financial unrest. Otherwise, you are doomed to a routine traverse, the kind known to yachtsmen who play with their boats at sea… 'cruising' it is called. Voyaging belongs to seamen, and to the wanderers of the world who cannot, or will not, fit in. If you are contemplating a voyage and you have the means, abandon the venture until your fortunes change. Only then will you know what the sea is all about. I've always wanted to sail to the south seas, but I can't afford it." What these men can't afford is not to go. They are enmeshed in the cancerous discipline of "security." And in the worship of security we fling our lives beneath the wheels of routine – and before we know it our lives are gone. What does a man need – really need? A few pounds of food each day, heat and shelter, six feet to lie down in – and some form of working activity that will yield a sense of accomplishment. That's all – in the material sense, and we know it. But we are brainwashed by our economic system until we end up in a tomb beneath a pyramid of time payments, mortgages, preposterous gadgetry, playthings that divert our attention for the sheer idiocy of the charade. The years thunder by, The dreams of youth grow dim where they lie caked in dust on the shelves of patience. Before we know it, the tomb is sealed. Where, then, lies the answer? In choice. Which shall it be: bankruptcy of purse or bankruptcy of life?"

"The gratification that I get from coaching and teaching these guys and then finishing a Bermuda race is just knowing that I facilitated getting these guys from sort of point A to point Z... look at what these guys have accomplished, and I've helped facilitate that."

"A lot of risk comes from trying to speed things up. A lack of patience changes the outcome."

"You can just look at the globe and just see you can cross oceans from where you are now, and that's like a mind-blowing thought for me."

"Part of seamanship is making good decisions, and as we all know, at sea you don't get too many bad decisions."

"While I supposed myself to be looking as salt as Neptune himself, I was, no doubt, known for a landsman by everyone onboard as soon as I give in sight. A sailor has a peculiar cut to his clothes, and a way of wearing them which a green hand can never get."

"Success is a dangerous element in any endeavor. Embrace the struggle. Beware the achievement. For it steals your caution even as it leads you down the next unknown pathway."

"The single most important thing you can do, by far and bar none, to become a safe and happy offshore cruiser is to go to sea as crew with an experienced skipper on a good boat. No amount of inshore sailing or reading replaces this vital step on the road to becoming a competent offshore sailor."

"People really don't truly understand what real life is until you experience being that far offshore away from land. And it is unbelievably the best feeling on the planet. And I would do anything to be back every day."