Don't go, but if you do........
Ted,My reaction is like most of the others: I wouldn't recommend the trip in a 26.5.If you are determined to go, I wish you well and hope that you make it safely.My 25.5 is very similar to the 26.5; both are great little boats for their intended use: lakes, bays and protected waters. Ok for light coastal cruising in good weather. Yes, they can take a pretty good blow for a while but they are just not built for the continuous pounding of weeks at sea and the storms you are likely to encounter. As to your questions; off the top of my head, here is a list of equipment that I would consider to be essential for crossing the Atlantic or offshore passagemaking in any boat:Liferaft; GPS and backup spare; triple-reef mainsail; storm jib; EPIRB; autopilot(or windvane self-steerer); wind generator or solar charger; Dodger; Bimini top; Drogue; SSB radio; and lots more than I can think of right now.There are three critical areas that deserve special consideration:1) Electrical power. The lack of an auxiliary diesel with alternator/charger severely limits your ability to use electrical power. Some outboards do have small alternator/chargers but I wouldn't depend on this for your power needs. That's why a wind generator or solar cells would be needed to recharge your batteries. Otherwise, you would need a large supply of extra batteries for such things as your GPS. Your radios need well-charged batteries as well.2) Crew endurance. The small size of the boat limits the number of crew you can take, especially with the increased amount of food, water, and supplies that each additional crew member would require. An autopilot uses a lot of electrical power (ref. 1) above) and you wouldn't have enough crew to have a fresh helmsman on the tiller for such a long trip. A windvane self steerer is almost obligatory, but $$$$$$. Simply lashing the tiller isn't adequate for these boats as they won't hold their course as every movement of crew can cause the boat to heel or tip; changing the course. Try this out on your boat and see what happens.3) Water. You would need quite a large quantity, stored in separate containers to prevent all from being accidentally contaminated. A manual watermaker might be a good idea for emergency drinking water.The cost of this equipment is certain to exceed the value of your boat, but I think most of these items are essential.An outboard is a real drawback for an offshore boat. I've already mentioned the inability to generate sufficient electrical power. In heavy waves, the propeller would be out of the water half the time. In calm conditions, you can't carry enough fuel to depend on motoring for any distance.Here are a couple of sites with links to almost any sailing topic where you can find some helpful information:http://www.saltyseas.com/boatindex/http://www.boat-links.com/boatlink.htmlMany have crossed oceans in smaller boats; many have failed in larger ones. Tristan Jones sailed thousands of miles in "Dart", a 26 footer, but he was, Tristan Jones.I hope we've talked you out of it but if you go, good luck and Godspeed.Dick