It was a mistake on my part to compare a wooden replica ship to those of a modern Navy. That WAS pretty short-sighted.

I still feel that the captain made the best possible decision that he could have, based on his knowledge of the weather, his ship and the crews capabilities. As you mentioned, it takes a unique breed of character to sail these ships and it requires unique knowledge that very few have. Perhaps the surviving crew will one day explain the reasoning behind the decisions that were made.