In Scott's example of not being able to dive, even a wing engine would not be of help with a massiave net entanglement with the running gear, which is certainly a potential problem. We have had to face these decisions--and make them on a personal basis. My wife had a serious cardiac arrythmia at sea, but we did not discover the true cause until almost 6 months later. Upon discovery that there was this potential, we aborted a sail to Hawaii. Six months later I just happened to catch the arrythmia again; we got the a ppropiate studies (had not shown any problem in previous tests) and she had a cardiac pacemaker installed 25 years ago. She is now on her 7th pacemaker. We have carried extra pacemaker, full testing gear and the surgical kit to replace it on our voyages--and she has put another 85,000 miles at sea during this time. I have had cardiac disease which kept me from diving for significant peroids--yet we have continued to cruise. However at a certain point, we made the decision that both of our cardiac problems, our back problems and some other medical factors would not allow us to cruise alone. If we were to cruise long distances again, we would either take crew or friends. We are fortunate enough to have many friends who are experienced sailors and have volunteered to crew with us, when we want to go--I would find this preferable to a hired crew. When we were bidding on a 56 footer last winter, we had a crew lined up before I made the bid (and thankfully someone else got the boat). We often had another couple or one relitative or friend aboard when on long passages. From Bermuda to the Azores, our scheduled friends could not come because of a serious medical problem. We interviewed a number of potential crew in Bermuda--and even though we found one person who was well qualified and would have done well, the final decision was we wanted to do it alone, than with an unknown. What the defining factor for us was medical risk, vs what might keep us from completeing the voyage. I don't think that either of us seriously worried about death. We accept that can happen at any instant at our age--but consider our partner or risk to others as a main consideration. To answer the question specificially--there are running gear protectors (I am talking net cages), along with cutters, which would allow a reasonably safe voyage without haveing to dive. I certainly would have a very good wing engine, with its own rudder and protection--and I would have a plan for each emergency which you could envision. We have know a number of people who have died at sea: at least 8 run down by commercial vessels, at least two from heart attacks, another two from eating poisonious fish, several from falling overboard, and several disabling accidents from mechanical injury. I am sure that none of these people had any idea that they would die on their voyage--yet in the far reaches of our mind this possibility exists.