On Wed, 03 Oct 2007 02:11:15 GMT, Jere Lull wrote:

In my view, their primary errors were (and this won't be news to them):
1) Rushing. Trying to run before "walk" has been mastered.
2) Having and relying on too many complex onboard systems, particularly
as most were unproven and have since been discovered to be NFG. (clean
version: not found good).

This may be more common than we may think.

I just spent 3 days in Baltimore inner harbor docked next to a couple
on a very nice 55 ft ketch. They are from the Great Lakes and have
never sailed over night or made an offshore passage of any type.

That said, they are planning to go offshore from the southern
Chesapeake in late October and sail non-stop to the AVI/BVI without
benefit of a stop in Bermuda. From there they are planning to sail
around the world. I just didn't have the heart to tell them what I
thought of the whole idea. Hopefully we won't be reading about them
but you have to wonder.