Safety analysis and prediction of a marine structure is a very important field which has received attention from many scientists. Prof. R. Ajit Shenoi has made significant contributions in investigating various issues in this field. In this invited paper of recollection nature, a philosophical attitude is taken to re-examine some fundamental issues about the safety of marine structures with a purpose to identify the key issues to be solved in the future. It is intended to help young generations of scientists how to focus on more important problems related to the safety of marine structures.