Donna Lange's 36 hour trick at the wheel was pretty impressive, especially
as she was already pretty beat up when it started. Last year, a professional
delivery captain took a friend's 45 foot Beneteau out of Bermuda with three
strong guys. Four days later, they were taking a 300 mile chopper ride home
leaving the boat which was towed into Boston a week later with only minor
damage. The series of little disturbances they encountered didn't even make
the news.

I'm sure character and genetic grit are a major factor in this disparity but
I wonder how much of a role the acclimatization of many thousands of miles
to the motion and lifestyle played. If Donna had encountered those
conditions on her first leg out, would the outcome have been different?

There are other factors. It was just a job for the delivery captain where as
the boat is Donna's whole life estate. The delivery captain was also
responsible for the three other crew members. Although there is no evidence
that the boat was in any real danger for the sea, the rather inexperienced
crew were evidently in some danger from the motion of the boat itself.

--
Roger Long