Georgs asks how we managed to find such bad weather? In 1984 there was no reliable weather routing as we know it today. I am not sure my budget would have allowed it, if there had been. We were one of the few cruising boats with a dedicated weather fax and when we left Bermuda 14 of May with a good forcast and a weather fax which indicated good conditions. High Seas forcasts remained good up until the storm hit on the 17th of May. Typically the middle of May is the season to cross East bound across the Atlantic, however I would wait until the end of May in retrospect. Right route at begining of the right season. The first acknowlagement of the storm was an appendage to a high seas broad cast telling of two other vessels which sent out distress signals. The reality of ocean crossings that you may have to cope with bad weather. Often boats do not travel fast enough to avoid storms. Bob Austin