"Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain"
Ralph Waldo Emerson

The subject arises in almost every conversation; aren't you afraid to sail across the ocean: of pirates, or storms?
I have to say I have never been as afraid in a boat, airplane or doing anything in life as much as I am to drive my car.
I have mentioned to Donna numerous times after driving all day "they are trying to kill me". Gasoline tankers on either side of me only six feet away at seventy MPH. Cars are cutting across three or four lanes of traffic and the driver is talking on the phone while drinking coffee and reading the newspaper.
There are many more dangerous things than sailing. A pilot friend of mine asked me the question one day, and I answered a question with a question: "what do pilots always say is the most dangerous part of flying"? And the correct answer is; "the drive to the airport". Statistics show that year after year driving is much more dangerous than commercial flight yet people give no second though to driving. An article from a sailing magazine I read years ago said that offshore sailing is safer than flying.
The State Department web site has a list of areas of piracy in the world; there really is no area where we are sailing of specific concern.
I have used my life skills to plan, train and prepare as much as possible for this trip. There will always be that small % that you cannot control, which is when we rely on positive thinking, friends, good wishes, luck and a few prayers.
There is no discounting luck; most appropriate in this context is an ancient Arabian proverb: "throw a lucky man in the sea, and he will come up with a fish in his mouth".
I believe I will fish in a more conventional manner and enjoy the trip.