On Fri, 05 Oct 2007 05:02:40 GMT, Jere Lull wrote:

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.

Other than the length of time, that's psychological with a properly
prepared yacht and crew. I'd far rather tackle 25+ knots in deep water
than on the Chesapeake, where that's *ALWAYS* ugly.

The important difference is that on the Chesapeake you know that
you'll be sleeping soundly in a warm dry bunk at the end of the day.
It's the prolonged fatigue and sleep deprivation that does people in
offshore.