Inspiration point (IP)

It’s a well-known fact that seafarers staring at the sea during the hours of darkness can be hypnotised by the calming waves and the bioluminescence as their ship cuts through the water. In their half-awake half-asleep state of mind, they feel an unexplainable urge to walk to the railings, climb over and jump in. I once experienced this peculiar feeling whilst on watch on a bulk carrier sailing south through the Red Sea towards the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Indian Ocean beyond.