6 a.m., the port wind whipped salty moisture against my face. Standing on the deck, watching the slate-grey horizon, I pulled the zipper of my ApexGear wind jacket up another inch. My neck was instantly cocooned by the high collar, and the once-clawing wind faded into a distant irritant.

This was my third time wearing it out to sea. If the first was a test, and the second a verification, then this time—as dark clouds gathered overhead and waves began splashing across the bow—I truly understood what it means when we say "Technology empowers adventure."