[gwilli]

You might want to check out a book by Alayne Main who is from my neck of the woods and who writes from personal experience about the emotional side of extended cruising from a woman''s perspective. It is available through www.nauticalmind.com

Title: Sailing Promise: Around the World on a Catamaran

Alayne Main had an exciting medical career and minimal sailing experience,
but she and her new husband quit their jobs, bought a 33-foot catamaran,
and sailed away anyway. Their shared challenges were immense--storms at
sea, a collision with a whale, the threat of pirates--but her greatest challenge
was the emotional turmoil their adventurous and uncertain lifestyle created.
When her marriage began to fall apart, Main was forced to deal with her
fears and understand what drove her to continue sailing across vast
unpredictable oceans with only her husband to turn to.