The correct answer to this open question is the following.
The two ways the proximity to water has affected Western Europe's settlement patterns are the following.
1.- One of the major problems with the geography of western Europe and its proximity to water is that there are no large mountain chains that can protect this part of the continent from the winds that come from the sea.
2.- This, of course, affects the weather of the region in different months of the year, depending on the season. Western Europe could be affected by cold winters or not-so-warm summers.
The Gulf Stream that starts in the Gulf of México influences the climate of Western Europe.