Questions like these have always given me a good chuckle ;-) Anyone that
has spent any amount of time at sea or on the waterfront will have plenty of
stories that relate to this. I'll spare you from hearing all of my "sea
stories"...

Having driven one ship in an Atlantic hurricane, another in a Pacific
hurricane, a research ship off the coasts of Washington and Oregon during
the entire months of November and December (first time I "lost my cookies"
in over 30 years at sea), and numerous yachts and ships in gales, I have two
bits of wisdom to pass on:

1. Nearly every ship (and most yachts for that matter) can withstand a heck
of alot more lousey weather than the crew aboard her can. I know personally
of numerous stories of people abandoning their yacht because the weather was
just "too bad", only to have their yacht later found completely intact
without a bit of damage.

2. If you're on a 45 foot yacht and the weather is severe enough for 50
foot seas... you ain't gonna be sleeping much... ;-)

--
Paul

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