Wayne.B wrote:

On Thu, 04 Oct 2007 01:02:12 GMT, Jere Lull wrote:

You know, I was about to say that I wouldn't hesitate to advise them
against it, but then reread and thought: We could be described
similarly though I'm considered fairly competent by those whose
opinions matter to me, the ones who have done it.

It really comes down to more than competence in my opinion. There are
intangibles that come only from experience, and those lessons are best
learned in small doses where the situation is less likely to spiral
out of control when (not if) things start to go wrong. Boats and
people both react a great deal differently when offshore in blue
water, as opposed to coastal cruising in relatively protected water
with a nearby harbor readily at hand.

When the wind is blowing 25 to 30 kts things can get pretty ugly
offshore, people get fatigued and the gear is severely tested.

I tried to convince the owner to plan a stop in Bermuda but was
unsuccessful. That would have given them the equivalent of a 3 day
shake down cruise and a chance to regroup if things were going wrong.

Are you saying it only takes 3 days to get to Bermuda? I thought it
was more like a week (depending on the wind). It takes a cruise ship
at 18 knots about 48 hours.

In any case, if they are going with the Caribbean 1500, they have to
have certain equipment, and they will have communication with others.
This is from the website:

Following the start, planned for Sunday, Nov 4th, participants will share positions twice daily during scheduled chat hours. Problems and solutions are discussed, as are privately arranged weather forecasts.The fleet will gather at the Bluewater Yachting Center in Hampton, VA, for several days of briefings and final preparations leading up to the start. All participants are invited and newer passage makers are encouraged to arrive two days early (November 1) for additional briefings and inspections.

Required Briefings for Skippers:

* Inspection Briefing, Medical Topics, Communications Briefing (procedures, schedules, frequencies), Sailing Instructions, Navigation and Landfall review
* Weather Briefing and Gulf Stream Analysis

Additional Briefings for Skippers and Crew:

* Women's Roundtables, Offshore Fishing Techniques, Life Raft Demonstration and Distress Signal Workshop, Sail Repair Workshop, Diesel Engine Troubleshooting Workshop
* Evening Social Gatherings

The Caribbean 1500 is both a rally and a cruise in company from the US to the British Virgin Islands. Some 900 boats have chosen to join the Caribbean 1500 in making their passage to the islands, and they find it a very special experience, as our many repeat participants attest. Once the fleet arrives at Tortola, nightly awards parties will bring participants together to swap experiences and exchange cruising plans. The passage typically takes 6-10 days