The coast of Maine has a lot of protection, but that's relative. Here on the western side of Penobscot bay, the weather would keep me and a much smaller boat in the harbor quite often and that's not much area to sail. That same weather isn't a problem in a larger boat. All boats have their weather limits(subject to owners idea of fun...), smaller ones reach the limit sooner.

I had a lobsterman friend(gone now sadly, skin cancer) that used to fondly say of his boat, "It'll get me home at the end of the day" You need that in your boat if you're going some distance from your harbor.