1. You need someplace to sleep at night, and some place to craft items, thus your home is considered a base. Yes it can be attacked by mobs, especially during "events" but there is NOTHING that can't be overcome with some common sense & preparation. There is also a build of the month sticky post at the top of the forum.

2. No, the world is something like 314 square kilometres. If you go past the edge of the world you die, nothing recoverable as it should be via norse mythology.

3. A tombstone appears where you died, a skull and cross bones appears on your map and you go get your stuff. This is where that base comes in handy because wise people keep a copy of older armor for just these sorts of emergencies. If you die multiple times in a row they are marked on the map, and you still need to go to that first death to recover your stuff.

4. I think you should be fine

5. Boats do have storage, and carts too. There is also a belt at the trader that helps A LOT with carrying items. You can also use portals to move stuff but you cannot, and never will be able to move ore, or metal bars through them, but if they are crafted into say nails, or an iron re-enforced beam it is ok.

6. A lot of decisions are on purpose about the game (such as the look, no metal through portals), and someone will come and tell you to use mods. Mods cause a lot of bugs in this game that is in an "Alpha" state still, it is not remotely near beta, but you do you and have fun.