Should PicoMicroYacht turn back?

One of the things I enjoy about sailing is how to manage risk.  In everyday life I find risk management is often done for you or it is so ingrained (such as when crossing he road), that you do not really think about it too much. However, when sailing I find you are constantly assessing danger and making decisions about how to avoid getting in a tricky situation. Sailors talk about being 'caught out' or 'badly caught out' and then describe  in yachting magazines how they were caught out and had to cope with horrendous circumstances.

In PicoMicroYacht I am risk averse, because the outcome is potentially catastrophic if things go badly wrong.  I find it interesting that when people see PicoMicroYacht going out to sea they feel it their duty to warn me of the risks.

When PicoMicroYacht left Newhaven on 23rd June 2018 a kindly person on their incoming yacht looked down and saw the PicoMicroYacht electronic system, with the ship radio and AIS. They put two and two together to make five and said in a slow and deliberate voice:

'You are crossing the channel today'

I replied: 'no - not today'

'Are you crossing?'

'No not today'

With a hint anxiety in his voice he said even more slowly and deliberately:

'be careful'

I proceded onwards, the plan being to row along the coast from Newhaven to Eastbourne, passing Beachy Head. As I got out the of the shelter of the long Newhaven pier  the sea started to kick up. Despite low winds it became bumpy and choppy, or 'lumpy.'  I spend about an hour rowing along the coast until I reached the end of Seaford beach. The lumpiness continued and at this point I had to make a decision about whether to keep going.

 I spoke into my microphone to record my thinking at the time... should I turn back? The wind was a Sou' Westerly two to three, due to increase to three to four.  I had another three hours of fair tide and it was neaps.

Should PicoMicroYacht turn back?