On 2008-06-08 13:35:54 -0400, Bruce in alaska said:

Must be a USCG Training Base for SAR or something. Up here in Alaska,
those conditions are called "FLAT CALM".... We don't even broadcast
Wx Alerts till the Winds are over 40 KPH, or the Seas are bigger than
10 Ft. Double that for the Bering Sea..... Gulf Coast Sailers must be
pussies, wossies, or some sort of Limp Wristed Mammals.....

Local conditions matter greatly.

I've enjoyed romps in the Atlantic in 6-8' waves over 8' swells, some
of the greatest sailing I've experienced, but anything over 3' on the
Chesapeake can be life-threatening where the depth is in the 8-12'
range. Those waves are steep and come in rapidly with significant
force. "Washing Machine" starts describing the conditions, but until
you've experienced them, you really can't understand.

Sailors who have survived hurricanes at sea have been seriously spooked
by our fairly-usual summer squall lines. Luckily, they're usually short
duration, under an hour, but during that time, you're under extreme
conditions that will stress the most prepared and professional sailors.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-à-Deux -- Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI trips & tips: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/