Why did it used to be harder to sail over deep ocean, compared to shallow waters
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It is more to do with being far from land. Land does a few things for a sailor. First, it is a convenient reference point; if you keep the shore to starboard, you know where you are and are going. Second, land tends to decrease the power of weather; trees, mountains, etc. dissapate the wind, and don’t let it build up as much. Third, being close to land made it so you did not have to keep as many provisions; you could usually go to land to forage or trade for food and water.
One area where the depth of the water mattered was in the size of waves. In shallow water, if a wave gets big enough it starts to rub against the bottom, and starts to die out. In deep water the waves can get much bigger. Also, waves are usually driven by wind, and again, land breaks up the wind.
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