Taking the Time to Acclimatize

There is a lot of vagueness here, but I hope the essence of what I write is comprehensible. 

Years ago my high regard for "cockleshell" sailors blossomed through reading. I actually met the fellow intent on sailing "G'day 88" across the Tasman but he probably caused me more trsuma than good, he was rescued at sea during a cyclone and was later gaoled for the planned murders of people advertising rooms to let. I'm just glad I didn't venture on board to have a look at his little craft. 

While this is obviously an extreme example of a cockleshell sailor, there have been a few odd bods on this genre. 

Anyway, one good example was a fellow who successfully sailed a self designed and built 9 footer across the Atlantic Ocean. Several aspects of his preparation marked him for success in my mind, one was his single mindedness (is. focus) on achieving the goal safely. He also trialled the boat on a local lake, living in the midwest of USA he had limited access to the sea, so he sailed where he could. After the initial trials, he waited for wild weather to approach and would sail in as harsh conditions as possible. And finally, weeks before departure after each  normal day, school teaching, returning home, having dinner with his wife, he would sleep on the boat in his garage to familiarize himself with life aboard. Immediately on reading this last point I had the feeling that this guy would succeed. He did. 

I was reminded of mental and physical bonding this morning as I listened to a reading of Francis Chichester's sailing Gypsy Moth V. The boat had been holed and was taking on a great amounts of water that threatened his life and the boat. But early on, between bailing, he consciously spends time acclimatising. Not tearing about in a panic, but quietly getting used to his "new normal". Chichester described having read about this in the writings of an Antarctic explorer (Amundsen ?), who encouraged others upon entering a totally new, possibly unexpected situation to just sit with it a while. Ingest the situation in great detail, not acting too much, but soaking it in.