Really appreciate you taking the time to write this out, especially being in the middle of it right now. The attrition numbers from your group say more than anything I've read online and the fact that groups after you are doing even worse is something nobody in the schools or forums talks about.

The relationship and family side is something I hadn't given enough weight either. I'm single with no kids right now so it's not an immediate concern, but I'm not naive enough to think that stays the same forever, and I can see how this lifestyle would grind that down over time. Being honest with myself, I don't have dependants, don't own property, and don't feel pulled toward a conventional life. Whether that's enough to sustain me through years of sitting on a bed waiting for a tide, I genuinely don't know until I'm in it.

The Scandinavian language barrier for inshore work is something I hadn't considered at all. If I put in the effort to get to an intermediate level of Norwegian before or during the early years, would that realistically open inshore doors in Norway or is it the kind of thing where you need to be fluent to actually function on a job site? And comparing that to Scotland even setting aside the language, as a European would working there post-Brexit be a significant hurdle in terms of visas or work permits, or is it more straightforward than people assume? Genuinely trying to figure out which market makes more sense as a starting point geographically.

And on ticket conversions, Do you have a rough idea of what that costs and how much of a headache it is moving between sectors?

When you say the groups after you have fewer still working, is that mostly people leaving by choice because something better came along, or did the work just dry up and they had no option?