What is it like to sleep on a boat? Is it scary or safe? Adventurous or calm? Quiet or noisy? 

Yes, no, and sometimes. Usually, it depends.

On the hook, you notice tiny details. The fizz of bubbles as wavelets strike the hull. How crumpled up those big red starfish look. The film of salt on lips that flavors everything you eat. 

Sometimes you miss big things. In the photo, see that darker blue area on the water? It turned into a Poe-like maelstrom. I watched while an entire tree was carried round and round, like a carousel. Fortunately, we were just outside its path.

Dropping the anchor is a lot like writing. It's a test. You make a choice and do the work. You  wonder,  Will it hold? You get better with practice. And you can't go back. You stick it out.