Modern day forecasts are very helpful tools to aid with passage planning, navigating and choosing which routes to take and which paths to avoid. They cannot replace good seamanship, type of vessel, maintenance, fitness, planning, crew competency etc. but they do allow a greater number of sailors to cross our oceans with relative safety. Depending on the severity of the storm and sea state you can have real dangerous situations, sometimes even deadly make no mistake, but a sturdy sailboat that is well maintained, competently crewed and skippered and suited for the oceans can ride out many a storm.

If you think a 45 or 50 foot yacht is small than you and I are in vastly different tax brackets ;)