Boating Encyclopedia: Danger at Sea:

http://www.answers.com/topic/danger-at-sea

Quote:
Risking drowning, discomfort, exposure, fright—for what?
Why do amateur mariners insist on risking danger at sea, time and time again? That’s the question Michael Stadler poses in his book, The Psychology of Sailing. Stadler, professor of experimental psychology at Bremen University in Germany, says: “Fully aware of the dangers that may be in store, they surrender themselves to being tossed about in a small boat between mountainous waves several times the height of the freeboard, exposed to cold and wind and spray; to being packed together with others in the most cramped conditions; to trying to determine their position with numbed fingers and great mental effort; to living out of cans—and all in the name of pleasure.”Are boaters really as demented as they appear? Is it crazy to pay a small fortune to indulge in an activity for which a professional would be paid danger money?Stadler argues that the craving for the dangers of the sea is often a reaction against a monotonous urban lifestyle. “These people enjoy dangerous activities precisely because of the risk involved. Little do they realize that, from an insurance company’s point of view, there is a much greater statistical risk involved in taking a car on vacation on overcrowded freeways than in cruising at sea.”There is a reward for taking risks, however. According to psychologists, overcoming dangers—even small ones—breeds self-confidence, and when the cruise is over, the boater carries this new confidence into the everyday world.
Unquote.

It must be something like this. In Victorian times, professional mariners considered wealthy yachtsmen lunatics for wanting to sail for pleasure or for the challenge of it. When working sailors were able to retire, they usually wanted to spend their last years on a farm, as far from the sea as possible.

I'm not sure I fully agree with the idea of sailing breeding self-confidence quoted above. In my own experience, sailing has taught me to be methodical (not one of my usual traits), to try to think ahead and anticipate every possible emergency, and to continuously rehearse mentally even the simplest activities and operations in order to be prepared for anything that might go wrong. In short, it hasn't made me more self confident, it's made me a paranoid worry-wort.

The advantage is that when confronted with problems, both on the water and off, I have been very fortunate so far to always have the resources on hand to deal with them. The disadvantage is that I have lost the spontaneity and sense of freedom and adventure sailing (or any other recreational activity) should provide. I may be the master of Plan B, but I generally don't enjoy the ride as much as I should.

In a way, I really envy powerboaters. They may occasionally get themselves into terrible jams out on the water through sheer overconfidence and recklessness, but they do appear to have a lot more fun with a lot less effort.