Great line, Arne!
There's a pretty complete catalogue of fears that impact me, and my very limited experience of singlehanding has brought out fears of containers, freighters, lee shores and storms. There are also fears that don't draw blood, and they are the ones that hold me back: fears of looking foolish, of humiliation, of failure, of opening myself to my own vulnerabilities. I struggle with those because of the danger of growing old without having an example of courage and a risk taken.
I sat in the cabin of my previous sailboat after weathering a storm that frightened me beyond all measure, writing down what could have been done to make the experience different. My boat was typical: it had a cabin, but to operate the boat itself there was not a single function that could be done from its safety. From steering at the stern to looking out in the cockpit to handling the jib at the bow, the skipper was obligated to be all over the boat. I wanted a greater symbiosis between the operator and boat; starting again, I wanted to put the confidence, assurance and calmness of the crew as the focus of the design.
Metaphorically, I had snatches of a melody in my head. Ashore, I went searching and soon found Jester. It was like hearing the entire song being played on the radio. Blondie had the answers, and by reputation he didn't have to feel fear to get there.