You say things much better then I. I agree with this 100%.

The work is to much for many to mix in with having fun. Some never will
need it.

There are those of us who learned it before there was another way and
so it is in our habits. I really love staying in touch with nature. I
love looking up and knowing what star is over what island at what time
of night. To me, it is a huge part of sailing and not just a backup.

I tend to take a fix and then check it on the gps to see how close I
got. I love calculating the time between wave crests, height and change
in direction to see where the weather system is heading. To me, it is
what sailing is about, but then some guys only like powerboats. I love
sailing tall ships and race sloops.