Sandy is evoking memories of the "nor'easter" that struck off New England in 1991 and inspired the best-selling book and movie "The Perfect Storm."

Ray Leonard, who survived that storm on his sailboat before the Coast Guard rescued him, said being besieged by high winds and waves can be exhausting, but sometimes sailors just have to deal with that physical discomfort.

"You don't really have time to think about much outside, because there's always about six jobs that need doing," Leonard said Monday.

Leonard said he never felt terribly vulnerable in '91. However, he said, Hurricane Sandy's immensity poses more of a quandary for sailors.

"The one I was in was different, because you could do something. In Sandy, you can't do much," Leonard said.