[jrd22]

Glad to hear everything turned out well, it's difficult to keep your worries to yourself. My own son had the opportunity to crew on a 19teens 50' schooner from Victoria to San Francisco when he was in his mid twenties. I looked at the boat, and met the captain and had serious doubts about the whole thing. One of the hardest things I've done is not try to talk him out of it (they did have good safety gear, liferaft, radios, and I got him the best inflatable with harness and tether). They battled storms most of the way (owner decided to leave with a gale predicted) there and ended up with cracked masts so they had to motor the last couple hundred miles, but it was a great experience for him. He and his fiance are shopping for their first boat (catamaran) and plan to take off for at least two years within the next year or so (when they can sell their house).

John