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.