On Fri, 10 Nov 2006 13:18:18 -0500, Jeff wrote:

there is a perception that mid-November to mid-December is a window
between the hurricanes and the winter storms, so there's always a few
boats that try. But it seems like a crap shoot to me, and every year
there's a story like this one.

The risk of hurricanes and tropical storms is largely over by the end
of October but there are ferocious low pressure systems that sweep
through from Canada and the mid-west in November. It's much less
risky to take a coastal route as far south as possible before heading
east to Bermuda.

Leaving from Newport, RI instead of Nova Scotia saves 300 to 400
miles of open ocean exposure. Leaving from North Carolina saves no
distance but gets you quickly into somewhat more stable weather once
you clear Hatteras and the Gulf Stream.