Even without looking I knew: there was no way I still had a mast. And without a mast, the trip was over. - Abby Sunderland

Fifty feet of mast lay in the heaving water, downed lines and shrouds holding it there.

But none of that kept me from picturing what a tsunami might look like if it did rise up and roar toward my little boat like some watery blue version of the Great Wall of China.

I was so thankful that my parents trusted me enough and had enough faith in my abilities to let me follow my passion and try to do something great, even if I might fail.