took him out to (the) sea

Question

Is there a natural way to say:(i) John's father took him out (to the sea) in the fishing boat. (ii) John's father took him out (to sea) in the fishing boat.

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

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(ii) John's father took him out to sea in the fishing boat.
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Vincent Teo · Answer

Thanks.

I got a problem. Why do we leave out "the" in the sentence given?

Can I say;

(ii) John's father took him to sea in the fishing boat.

Mister Micawber · Answer

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Yes, 'at sea, to sea' are idiomatic in the way that 'at home' and 'to work' are.
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Cool Breeze · Answer

Vincent Teo(i) John's father took him out (to the sea) in the fishing boat.

As neither John nor his father is a sailor, I see nothing wrong with the above sentence.However, you would have to say: He went out to sea at the age of 17 if you were talking about a sailor. The is commonly used with sea when the life of sailors is not referred to: He loves the sea. Ernest Hemingway wrote a book entitled The Old Man And The Sea.
CB

Mister Micawber · Answer

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This is the first time I have disagreed with CB, I think-- or at least the first time in a long time. I cannot see that their occupations make any difference. If you were, in an unlikely scenario, taken out to the sea, it would have to mean that you were not at the moment on/on/at or anywhere near (because of 'out') the sea in question. But these folks are on the boat, which is presumably in the sea already.

This case is, as I said, idiomatic English. Merriam-Webster's On-line, for instance, offers these definitions:

"— at sea
1: on the sea ; specifically : on a sea voyage

— to sea
: to or on the open waters of the sea"

This does not of course prevent the article from appearing in many non-idiomatic uses like Hemingway's book title or Rachel Carson's (The Sea Around Us), as in He loves the sea / I'd like to be under the sea, or as in my earlier sentence: in the sea.
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Cool Breeze · Answer

Mister Micawber.
This is the first time I have disagreed with CB, I think-- or at least the first time in a long time. I cannot see that their occupations make any difference.

Hi Mr M
I was a little rash, even though I do think leaving out the article before sea very often means seafaring is involved. Not necessarily, though. Being a sailor isn't the decisive thing.
I would like to make it clear that I didn't consider it wrong to omit the article in the original sentence. I just thought the sentence would be correct with theas well. If you think differently, you may be right. Maybe it's my Helsinki ear.

Or we're both right, which would be even more pleasant.
Anyway, I'll buy you a double Bushmills on the rocks the next time we meet!
CB

took him out to (the) sea

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