"Although West has never built a boat before -- or even sailed on the ocean -- he has been dreaming of being the captain of his own ship for years."
This has trouble written all over it... hope i am wrong
Stories like this have run throughout our lifetimes. Some have happy endings or we never hear the endings.
When we were first sailing cats on the Space Coast in the early seventies, there was a really smart "rocket" scientist who built a big trimaran. To save money he may have cut some corners here and there.
The family (including several kids, a teenage daughter and her boyfriend) had a dream to sail around the world. They left Cocoa after a huge bon voyage party and made it to Key West.
After that, they headed for Cozumel but never made it...
No trace.
However, who would say he did the wrong thing?
Others have had epic journies following a dream.