Jon, your mention of The Fear creeping in during the big crossing brings up memories; I'm glad my few (to me) big crossings went well. But, as Moulton Avery discussed in his November SK Newletter piece The Anatomy of a Bad Decision , sometimes Very Bad Thinking gets in the way of making the correct decision. I think, for many, the wish to be a Hero in one's own eyes, and not a Wimp or a Wuss, is what leads to a Really Bad Day on the water. I actually never enjoyed long crossings, except for brief interludes in between worrying what might go wrong--I liked them well enough to crow to others about them after completion--so I've conquered my ego so as to no longer make big crossings, and am thus a more contented kayaker, happy to focus on the delights of just being in the marine environment around me.