"The fear of the birds"

Many times for many years I was crossing that sea but it was the first time ever I have found myself alone between the two coasts. Not a single yacht, no fishermen, no tankers, no dolphins usually playing around when the weather happens to be so deadly quiet. Luckily, it was not completely dead silence, the engine of "Galiola" was working monotonously and I was listening to the sound of motor like some tranquilising music.